St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-08
THE AUTHORITY ON LUNG DIS
EASES WRITES MORE ON IT,
BERCULOSIS.
DOES NOT, AS A RULE, SPREAD
THROUGH INHALATION or THE
BACILLUS OF TUBERCULOSIS,
BUT ANOTHER WAY.
NINE POINTS NAMED TO PROVE 1T
An Interesting Letter From the Emi-
nent Specialist of Interest to
Medical Men.

Richard Price, the live stock inspec-
tor of the health department, is in re-
ceipt of another letter from DR.. Karl
Won Ruck, of Asheville, N. c., relative
to tuberculosis and the mode by which
human being may contract the dis
ease. The letter, which will be of spe-
| cial interest to the medical fraternity,
! is as follows:
l notice in a marked copy of the
d a i y G. o b of Wednesday, the 26th
ulto., an article giving the views Of
several physicians of your city as to
the mode of infection in the tubercular
affections of man. From that article
| note, also, that in my letter of a
previous date to you l am not fully
understood, at least not as | wished to
be, and having had TO idea that it
would be published [ have, perhaps,
not expressed myself as clearly as l
should have done. But l did state that
the evidence was strong to prove that
human tuberculosis did not as a rule,
spread through inhalation of the bacil-
lus of tuberculosis, but that it was con-
veyed to the victim through the ali
mentaTy canal.
The evidence for this is so volum-
inous that its reproduction here would
be impossible. The chief points are,
however:
First-That we have no positive evil
dence of tuberculosis having occurred
from inhalation.
Second-That the specific gravity of
the tubercle bacillus is greater than
that of air.
Third-That tubercle bacilli have
never been demonstrated in air under
ordinary circumstances, but rather in
dust deposited upon furniture and
walls Of rooms occupied by filthy pa
tents
Fourth-That the tubercle bacillus
(unless possibly by forced inhalation
would not be likely to be deposited in
that portion of the lung which we
know to be the usual starting point for
tubercular disease.
Fifth-That tubercular LESSONS are
being found with increasing fire.
quency in the glandular apparatus,
especially since we have suspected
other sources of infection than the re-
| spiratory tract, and that such and
! other tubercular LESSONS frequently eX-
| lst when none can be found in the air
passa ges.
Sixth-That we have good reason to
believe that the human organism is
capable of resisting successfully infec-
tion with so few germs as could be
inhaled under ordinary circumstances.
SeVenth-That tuberculosis Is present
in animals whose flesh and milk we
daily consume with a frequency en-
| tirely unsuspected before the advent of
the tuberculin test; that milk and
| flesh, especially the glandular organs
| of tubercular animals, have been dem
! Onstrated to contain the specific bacil-
| lus.
Eighth-That the secretions of the
human stomach have no power to de-
Stroy or even decrease the Virulency
of the specific germs.
Ninth-That infection through the
alimentary canal is a demonstrated
fact, whereas the evidence by inhala-
ton is inferential only
Such evidence / believe to Justify the
statement that, las a rule" infection
occurs through the alimentary canal
while I, nevertheless, recognize the
danger of air infection, and would rec
/ ommend every reasonable precaution
! for it's prevention, also. [ believe. how
( ever, that instances where the disease
has apparently been contracted by con-
| tact and association with tubercular
patients do not necessarily justify the
| assumption that in such cases the
germ must have been inhaled. al
though L concede that such may have
been the case. On the contrary it ap-
| pears to me more rational to think
| even in such cases Of infection as occur
ring through the alimentary canal.
and he who knows the usual want of
precautions in families harboring con-
sumptives will bear me out, that the
use of eating and drinking utensils in
common with the patient without pre-
vious disinfection is the rule More
over. dust containing the germ is also
liable to be deposited upon food.
Ii measures for prevention are to be
considered, L would by no means be
understood that the milk and flesh of
tubercular animals are the sole source
of danger; on the contrary, I recognize
the discharges from tubercular pa
tients as another but probably less
prolific one, and that dust containing
these germs is a danger, no matter
whether 1t reaches the victim by in
haiation or with the food, and not only
to our fellow beings, but also to ami
mails, who, in their turn become dis
! eased and endanger man again.
Finally, 1 do not think that mere
| opinions are of great value in the final
settlement Of so important a question.
| unless they are based upon thorough
and painstaking study and experiment.
al research. We know already enough
| to justify measures Of protection both
| from dust containing the bacilIi and
food from tubercular animals. To the
! practical sanitarian it will make little
| difference which source may be the
greater of the two, and each NAV
| draw his own conclusions after examin-
| ing all the evidence.