Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-03-01
CONSUMPTION NOT HEREDITARY.
The Disease Transmitted by contasion, Not
by nerediiy.

When we think that every year ii,
France 10000 people die of ttibercu-
losis it is not surprising that it's pre-
vention and cure are subjects of con-
slant. burning interest. In. Paris, with
q weekly mean mortality Of eight hun
dred to one thousand. tuberculosis
claims claims alone from two hundred
to two hundred and fifty. Professor
Grancher. in his interesting and valu-
able report, read recently before the
Academy of Medicine. deals with the
subject of family tuberculosis, attrib-
uting the heavy mortality rate large
~ to the fact that the disease is not
taken in time. tuberculosis is not
considered as an incurable disease 1t
becomes SO because it is left to itself
because at the beginning. when it
might be cured, the doctor and. the
family think. only of deceiving the pa
tient. il not themselves. forgetting
that by that very act they interdict to
the patient the treatment most indicat-
ed and really. the only means of saw
ing him or her. Having disposed of
this fallacious doctrine of silence and
deception. Professor Grancher touch
1t is contagion and not heredity that is
most az fault in the propagation and
spread Of tuberculosis.
What family. either in the direct or
collateral line. is not tuberculous?
If. he adds. heredity is sufficient to
create the disease, everybody in Paris
would be tuberculous. Heredity may
prepare the ground, but it is conta-
gion that spreads the disease. The
bacilliferOuS sputa are the direct
means. These two great points-that
tuberculosis is not incurable and that
heredity is not sufficient to create the
disease-are the most potent argu-
ments against that silence and decep-
ton regarding the diagnoses that have
sent so many tens of thousands to
their grave. And how are we to i'm
pose upon our patients the long and
severe treatment that their cases de-
mand if we do not open their eyes to
the true nature of the malady? If
tuberculous patient is to get well.
such a one must will to get we'll; and,
being appraised that tuberculosis is not
incurable, 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
post-mOrtem 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 treat
inent and hygienic surroundings?
With reference to the latter, he is in
clined to consider them the more i'm
portant 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 dis
infection 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. A pocket
spittoon should be provided for each
and every patient. especially in hos
pital practice; splitting on the floor
prohibited and every room occupied
by a tuberculous patient disinfected
as soon as left. Above all. no sweep
ing should ever be allowed, but the
broom should be replaced by cleansing
with a wet sponge or mop.-Medical
Record