The Delta independent., 1898-11-18

One, and probably tha greatest, dan
ger which threatens ho6 an life at the
present time il pulmooary tuberculosis,
or consumption. Eithes directly or in
directly it touches ths life OF almost
every individual. Ooe bali Of the hu-
man rice suffer from ths disease, aad its
ravages are as vide = fhe inhabitab!e
world. The mortality fsom the disease
approaches that Of email pox hundred
years ago. causing from one fifth to one.
seventh OF all the dsaih~. more than
small pox. dipthesia. srariet fever, ty-
pboid fever. typhus fever, yellow fever.
cerebro spinal fever. Asiatic cholera.
relspsius fever. Iepeusy. measles and
whooping cough conbinei. Moreover.
the greatest number ef,its victims are
among the young and thOse 10 the prime
OF lie. 1t has been TIC belief among
the profession and laity until recent
years, that consumptioa was an heredi.
tary disease. .transmittsdfrou parents TO
their offspring. Scisnce has Demon
strated that this is essoneous, but the
disease is the direct r~ult OF the ab-
sorption. or impiantstioo 0, the ,uber-
Gle bacillus. The tuhssve bacillus is a
specific microbe. prods:inS certain def
mite results. 1t gains entrance into the
body through the nusous membranes
OF the respiratory and digestive tracts,
and by the skin. By faf the most com
mon entrance is thr ,u0h the respiratory
tract, the bacillus bsiss held in suspen-
sioa in the air and entering the lung'
{ rough iespiratioo-
tiers the lungs froa she dry sputa OF
those who are afflicted With the disease.
Tubercle bacillus sxisss wherever con
sumption exists. and sse constantly add
cd TO through the cacsIossness, ignorance
and helplessness q De corsumptive.
They are found in ~ bus, of the street;
consider the enoemous.smount OF expec.
toration constantly 0ping on there. a
certain proPortioo a 0hich is tubercu.
lous They are in - workshops and
factories, in storeA ;k halls. hotels.
steamboats,. and Z Dnerable private
dwelling. WhereS1 eop:e eongrega,e
there are sure to be some persons who
are suffering from pulmonary tubercu-
Iosis. expect rate upon the floor. down
radiators. upon handkerchiefs. and in
various places where the sputum will
dry and se, free the in'e ,ting IN.
You might ask why are not everybody
afflicted? Tubercule bacillus will only
grow in 4 suitable and congenial soil.
The weaklings, those OF Low vitality.
those who have the non resistance po-
tential 10 the micFobe. are the ones who
are first afflicted. Those who are con
stitutionally strong and have the resist,
ance potential to the microbe. are never
affected 90 long as they can retain that
condition. The bacillus spores float in
the air. BY being inhaled by those who
are in condition suitable for the devel
opment OF the bacillus; il takes lodge.
ment and multipIies, finally producing
all the barassing phenomena observed
in a well developed case Of consumption.
From the fact that consumption is no;
hereditary, and that the disease is pro
1eN ~ spee'"e oAs'''us' anu 'na'
.">' 'o' Va" '"'' s~" eno ue'eiop
~ : ee''''" e,''''oti'eos points 10 'he
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