CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1898-02-17
The Splitting Nuisance.


was very timely. For some time past
the press, both lay sand medical, from
Maine to California has been calling
attention to the evil, and proposing
various measures for abating it. A
number of cities have passed ordin-
ances prohibiting it and imposing fines
for their violation. Not many months
ago a San Francisco millionaire was
arres'ted and fined for splitting in a
street car.
Colorado towns, to which so many
tubercular invalids resort, should be
especially warned of the danger from
the habit. The deadliest enemies to
all forms of bacteria are sunshine and
pure air, with which we are so fortu-
nate as to be bountifully supplied and
to which in all probability our native
non-tubercular population owes its
immunity from tuberculosis. But the
tubercle bacillus is very tenacious of
life and may lie dormant for weeks
or even months until favoring wind
deposits it in the lungs of some run
down but not tubercular individual or
some patient convalescent from pneu-
monia where it at once begins its
deadly work and the end of that work
W. see too often among the many
invalids who too late seek our healing
climate.
In the towns in Germany where
there are sanatoria for the treatment
of consumption the disease among the
native population has markedly de-
creased, owing to the fact that the
people and patients alike are taught
how to properly destroy their expec-
toration. Indeed today the place
that is least dangerous is properly
conducted sanitorium where not only
the patients themselves are protected
but where the infection of resident
physician, nurse or other attendant is
almost unknown.
Another feature is that if the evil
is allowed to become greater, as it
certainly will if measures are not
taken to prevent it, healthy tourists
will be driven away from Colorado.
This result has already been brought
about in certain Mediterranean re-
sorts in Italy and France and in Cali
fornia the fear of it is so great that
an agitation has been started in favor
of passing laws which will compel
consumptives to live apart from other
people, or prohibit them from enter
ing the state at all.
About year ago in meeting of
one of the New York state medical
societies a member in an address said,
that the streets of Denver and Colo
RADIO Springs were slippery with the
sputa of consumptives." l doubt not
that many of his hearers believed it!
How is the evil to be remedied?
Gradually by agitation and education.
Teach those sick with contagious res
piratory diseases how to properly
destroy their poisonous expectoration,
introduce pocket spit cups such as
are used in sanatoria, and finally pass
such laws as will compel the sick to
respect the rights and safety of the
well.
Our greatest hope of conquering
this dreadful scourge which destroys
more lives than the plague, cholera
and yellow fever combined, lies along
the line of prevention and these
measures all tend in that direction.
One vaunted specific" after another
is announced with great enthusiasm
only to be forgotten in few months,
and the destroyer continues to claim
its two-sevenths of all who pass away.
Any and all measures which will les
sen this enormous death rate should
be heartily encouraged, and this dan
gerous habit of splitting everywhere
should be stopped.
W. d. HOWE, NJ. D.