The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-18
CONSUMPTION NOT HEREDITARY
The Disease Transmitted By Contag-
ion, Not By Heredity.

Medical Record: When we think
that every year in France 10000 peo-
pie die Of tuberculosis it is not sur
prising that its prevention and cure are
subjects of constant, burning interest.
In Paris. with a weekly mean NOR
tality of 500 to LOCO, tuberculosis claims
alone from 200 TO $50. Professor
Grancher, in his interesting and
valuable report, read recently before
the Academy of Medicine, deals with
the subject of family tuberculosis, at
tributing the heavy mortality rate
largely 10 the fact that the disease is
not taken in hand in time.
tuberculosis is not considered as
an incurable disease. 1t be-
comes so because il is left to itself
because at the beginning, when 1t
might be cured, the doctor and the
family think only of deceiving the pa
tient, if not themselves, forgetting that
by that very act they interdict TO the
patient the treatment most indicated
and really the only means of saving
him or her. Having disposed Of this
fallaciouS doctrine Of silence and de-
ception. Professor Grancher touches
briefly and Dointedly on heredity, 1t
is contagion and not heredity that IS
most at fault in the propagation and
spread Of tuberculosis.
What family, either in the direct or
collateral line, is not tubercuiouS? II,
he adds, heredity is sufficient to create
the disease. everybody in Paris would
be tuberculOus. Heredity may pre-
pare the ground, but it is contaglon
that spreads the disease. The bacilli-
ferrous SDuta are the direct means.
These two great DOintS-that tuber-
culosis is not incurable and that hered-
ity is not sufficient to Great the dis
ease-are the most potent arguments
against that silence and deception re-
garding the diagnoses that have sent
so many tens of thousands to the
grave. And how are we TO impose upon
our patients the long and severe treat
ment that their cases demand if we
do not open their eyes to the true ma
ture of their malady? If a tuberculOus
patient is TO get well, such a one
must will to get we'll; and, being ap-
prised that tuberculosis is not incur
able. the will will be forthcoming and
the requisite treatment can be in
augurated and carried out.
AS for the rest, do we not find after
postmortem the remains OF old tuber-
culous deposits in the lungs healed
long since, the lungs remaining other
wise perfectly healthy, the patients
having died of a disease in which the
lungs were not in any way involved?
And if tuberculosis can and does heal
of itself, how much more readily ought
it to heal under proper treatment and
hygienic surroundings? With refer
ence TO the latter. he is inclined 10
consider them the more important OF
the two. 1t is, as already noted, the
sputa that are the real means OF
spreading the disease. First of all, the
declaration of the disease ought to be
made by the doctor with authorization
of the family. The diSinfectiOn of the
apartment should be done every now
and then, and always after a death
from tuberculosis. But it is against
splitting that our chief effort must be
directed. pocket spittoOn should be
provided for each and every patient.
especially in hospital practice; splitting
on the floor prohibited; and every
room occupied by tuberculous patient
disinfected as soon as left. Above all,
no sweeping should ever be allowed.
but the broom should be replaced by
cleansing with a wet sponge or mop.