The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-26

a prisoner At first It might be merely
a control over his place of residence; as
for example, where there might be- a con
sumptve patient who was compelled Ivy
personal or by financial reasons to eat
live, and sleep in the same room with
healthy persons or where II might he Inn
possible for him to give up his employ
ment and necessary for him TO go to and
from his place of business i'm public con-
veyances. or necessary for him to meet
many persons daily In the conduct Of his
business. 1t Is in these places and at
these times that the consumptivc cannot
by force of circumstances, or is not, by
force of habit, overparticular as to whom
he may or does infect with the disease
he himself suffers from The expcctora-
ton of a consumptive person contains mil
lions of the tubercle bacilli, ana in his
going to aud coming from his place of
business this sputum Is deposited on the
street or on the mating and upholstery
in cars and carriages, on table napkins
and towels, both at home ana in public
eatlng-houses, there to be dried ana then
blown about as dust and inhaled by others.
Ladies with their long trailing dresses
unconsciously sweep up this tuberculous
sputum on our streets. and 1t Is carried
home into their houses there to dry into
dust and possibly infect some member of
the household. 1t is largely to ignorance
of these facts that we owe many of the
cases of consumption. Probably no more
dangerous sources of infection exist in our
towns and cities than the street cars with
their mats and mating. These things
form excellent and handy places for the
consumptive TO deposit his eXpectoration.
1t sinks into them. dries into dust, and in
a short time is ready to be inhaled by
some one who possibly has had his resist
i've power lowered by sickness, or by eX-
posture, or by want of food, or by over
work. and the result is, in many cases,
infection.
The question of the sanitary regulation
of the cleanliness and the healthfulness
of our public conveyances may yet be
placed under the control of the proper
municipal officer, and we will not be con-
fronted with notices such as Gentlemen
are requested not to spit in this carr but
we will see in it's place the following:
ANY one who spits in this car will be ar
rested and prosecuted" BY the munich
pal control of the consumptive many of
these dangers could be avoided. The
municipal health officer would then de-
mand that all cases of consumption be re-
ported to him. He would then send an
experienced assistant to the place where
the case existed. This assistant would
satisfy himself as to the condition and
sanitary surrounding of the consumptive
subject, and also as to the general under
standing the patient had concerning the
danger of injecting others: he would also
take note of the number of persons living
in the house. the general sanitary condi-
tons, and of the health of these persons
and then report these facts to his chief
Measures could then be taken to conline
the disease within the smallest possible
area so as to run the least possible chance
of injecting others.
1t is u gratifying sign of the times
that in mapy places local legislation
is progressing in the direction indicated
by DR.. Craig.