New-York tribune., 1895-12-15
DISEASE LIES IN DUST.
MERE CONTACT WITH CONsUMPTIVEs
NOT To BE FEARED.
An INTERESTING DISCUSSION BY EMINENT Ply
sICIANS-UNwARRANTED SUFFERING M
POSED ON INNAIlDS.


.umpton from an invalid friend relative is large
ly II altogether due to imaginary This Ia
the fact which mos, emphatcally proved at
meeting Of the Academy OF Medicine a recent
night and the added fact was drawn from the
discussion that cleanliness Is most potent factor to
o,d In STAYING the course Of the disease in the
patient's own case. That germs of disease can
iurk in the ninitesimal particles OF dust which find
Judgment behind pictures frames and IN carpets. on
and under chair seats and over door frames and
window frames in wallpaper and cracks in the
Aoor. under unevenly fashioned wainscoiting is
fact beyond argument 1t has been proved by tests
Of the most exhaustive kind on guinea pigs. The
danger from tuberculosis patients lies in the care
lessness displayed in disposing of the sputum
.excre;ions thrown of from the lungs After this
spu;um HIS dried and turned to dust 1t becomes
dangerous malevolently 50. for demonstrations
have amply confirmed that the bacillus will live for
three years in dust forms and then be ready for
active business.
These facts drawn out in paper read by Dr.
Irwin H. Harce. who for five years mas been
physician connected with the santarium at Saranac
Lake in the Adirondacks, the one in which the late
Dr. Ioomis was deeply interested The subject
matter with which pr. Hance was dealing was
THE righteousness of the Dust In the Adirondack
Cottages"-a queer sounding subject 10 a laynah'
but instinct with interest for the band OF physicians
in attendance upon this meeting. Dr. Hance sald
that in these days when fear Of consumption was
so
some Of whom feared the contagion Of contact with
their patients 1t seemed important to call attention
10 the matter and TO make an exact estimate o'
tho situation Things had come to such pass that
disease was thought 10 lurk in the water we drank
in the food we ate and the air we brcathed The
fear OF infection often so great that people
looked upon consumptive as dangerous chaE-
scter thus adding a considerable item to his suffer
ings which were already greater thaA ne shonid De
made to bear. Families were often separated 10Y
fear OF spreading the contagon among the healthy
members The rental of city fat has been refused
time and again to a family wherein the wife and
mother had been brought home to die oil the
dread disease.
DR.. Hance thought these reflections sufficiently
pointed to Indicate the necessity OF The erection OF
buildings fer the of coasumptive patients. III
his own person. however, the tuberculous patient
Is not infectious to those about HIM To prove
bs nositior the sneaker reviewed the history brleH'
of some experiments. These demonstrated beyond
neradyenture that the expired cir was free from
co,tagion one expert had a woman couch into
closed box containing two guinea pigs They sur
vived the crdell without Inconvenience. II IS no'
necessary TO follow this speaker through the
rai6catjons of his experiments with the dust gath
cred from various rooms. Taking into account the
totality OF results from all sources II IS SHOWN
that SlS out of 53 animals inoculaed with the aust
product died from some form of infectious disease.
Fire is considered to the best dsinfectant for 1t
WHAT PATIENTS SHOULD KNOW
II was in the subsequent discussion Of this paper
that some facts were brought out re2ardins IN,
haht Of phvsiciars anl the conduct cf hospitals
here in New-York that should make somebody
cneek burn. Experts have long Gwelt upon the
necessity Of educating consumptive patients TO take
care Of themselves, Ia incu.cale habis OF cieahH-
ness as well for their own protection as for the
well being Of those about them 1t developed thai
nbvsicians we're often responsible .or danger pe-
cause they Id not instruct ther pateh'S Oi''"
than otherwise, DR.. Jaaew@y SAID ne Ma" lo"'"
phvsicians silent this subject. NF' " was '.
unon which all should insist s.fenuousE' III
pbuaselphie the other day. he rem9rked' ne nan
seen in one OF the s:reetcars sign. 'f"sSe'lseiS
,ra prohibited from splitting in this car. me s'sA
might not De effectual. hut II was move III the
nah. direction. lie then ro'nten 10 'he s'epS anu
,,otforms OF the elevated roads IL Ne"-horE
ny II NJ Pisfs. who has fer some time beeh
oa.nac.od win the Health Department. declared
mat ~ tuberculosis were once classed as an ia
toc,,ous disease professor an5 people could moi
no made 10 sec that patents were aosolute!N IL
nocuous to their friends. he held that II sanitary
conditions are no; pood there = alWays danger
and in connection with this cited the case OF a
%AwYork hospital. where in two years eleven az
-enGants we're dismissed because they ha1 deTS'- dT'
- =, al, ned symptOms OF consumption Inc
cpsd,,Tons in This hospital were extremely bad The
wards overcrowdtd and the pttfm'a MeTe e,o oI
class difficult to controi. - W. ,Ic eAcsPtion 10,
to nd physicians had IN o
10
ppiaanIiness He held this conduct on tAe part OF
b nroFesso TO be Grim nally neel gent The need
OF educating 'n@ & p pnsopl@ With the opportunities
for experiment now open there was no reason why
~ yast majority OF cases should not be diagnosed
in heir incipency and thus large percentage OF
victims preserved. Dr. = ggs sald tnat ne had IoI
sear1I sIo ont IN the pines on Long Island j would
pe easy OF access healthfu IN sl'natIoh ana tnere
ppnre The word was passed by Dr. II B. Loomis
fabl
On Morningside Heights
PRECAUTIONS OF HOUSEWIVES
Dr Smith however, sounded the keynote OF a
crucally important phase OF the situation when ne
.aid that he hoped the widest possible circulation
,,,gbt b. given the discussion in the behalf OF
ooun,rv doctors In the rural districts grea.
many houses become positive seats for the culture
u, he tuber culosis bacillus. Many OF these houses
had the carpets. the same ha9glngs me same same
dear to the heart Of the housewife, ana Were
sSut mn They were consequently great deal
more liable to invasion thap city houses w which a,
to have ier entire 1b dseass s@s
aTred of raneG 5 p in the family N Henes
need for instruction in II farming communities
Dr. Smith He spoke Of a disease which was
vastly more 10 be dreaded than consumpti3n. +, ,ad
Spn,u was ~ hotels and observation-disclosures where
deaths had occurred in the same rooms year aer
hansngs Is had not becaSse Sssn G fhsnsea fertile
sspn,1no ground for the Board Of Health He held
-, a1artment- houses containing from six TO ten
,aSn,;as were much more unhealthy often than the
lower class OF tenement houses containing twenty
families more. The apartmenI-n9uses G @ had nooIs
vr,ains pictures were suspended from the walls
and hardly ever busted or, If busted the dGst M
si,n,v rose and settled again in new places. Finally
II was determined that the greatest good % Tas to be
~ arpat hing after all 10 teach people now TO
i've If they would live free froW Keen cn1feg bs G
cpaao nd themselves cleanly and well habted. and
oicd .inr1s must be taught the necessity OF clean
hoors fresh air and sunlight Inc sres'es' o4
these was sunlight.
HELP OF VARIOUS Kinds GIVEN.
The work OF the United Hebrew Charities for
November is thus summarized:
.,.r,her Of appicants treated reached