The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-06-07
DANGER Of TUBERCULOSIS
REPORT oF \ FRENCH SOCIETY
ON THIS DISEASE.
Rules and Suggestions as Co Restricting
Bavagcs ut the Most Fearful scourse
of the Human Race

of the Human Race.
! The following report upon consump-
/ ton has been made the result of the
work of the French league for the pre-
Nention of tuberculosis. Ii has been
/ specially translated FOR the state de-
! partment
For every six persons In this coun-
] try, at least one dies OF consumption.
! OF the $4,000 deaths that occur every
year I'm France, over 10000 are caused
! by pulmonary tuberculosis or phthisis,
and this number, instead of decreasing.
goes on augmenting each year. Hardly
"a family but pays its sad tribute. No
disease, no scourge, can be compared
| to tuberculosis SO far as the number of
victims is concerned. All epidemics and
contagious diseases combined-typhoid,
Varioloid, scarlatina, measles diph-
/ iberia, cholera, etc.-dO not cause half
as many deaths.
I'VE would then be acting like mad
men If, knowing the means to diminish
/ the raVages Of this most terrible of our
enemies. we did not as physicians make
them known to the public; and If,
knowing that tuberculosis may be
transmitted from man to man and
from animals to men, we knew means
by which such transmission might be
prevented or limited, we would be gross
ly culpable If we neglected to make
known such preventive measures. Sci
ence is today possessed of a knowledge
of the means of diminishing the ravages
of tuberculosis.
1T is known that in the immense ma
ioIity of cases a consumptiVe does not
possess the germs of the disease at
birth.
1T is known. thanks to Villemin,
that the greater number of the 100000
Consumptives who die yearly i'm France
have caught the disease either by
breathing the air charged with the
germs Of tuberculosis or, less often, by
eating food which may accidentally
contain those germs.
1T is known that these germs of tu-
berculosis (bacilles de KOCH, are
spread by consumptives around them,
each patient becoming, by his eXpecto
ration, a center of emission of these
infected particles.
1T is known that by certain simple
precautions it is possible to destroy the
greater part of these germs that are
scattered through the atmosphere, and
consequently, to prevent the greater
number of cases of consumption.
1T is known that contact with the
consumptive is i'm no sense dangerous;
that neither his person nor his breath is
poisonous; that one can talk with him
for hours together inhale his breath, |
live with him, sleep with him, give him
the most constant care and attention,
without running any serious risk if GER
tain precautions are taken, the princi- |
pal one being to clean up his eXpec- |
toration and not delay destroying it
until it has become dry and been taken
up in the atmosphere.
ut is known that by extreme cleanli- |
ness we not only prevent the patient |
from becoming dangerous to others, but |
that we do him a great service, for he
is prevented from reinfecting himself
and from destroying the beneficial
effects of treatment which would often
be successful if these precautions were
vigorously enforced.
Therefore, the congress for the study
of tuberculosis, where all the specialists
of that disease were assembled, has Is |
sued a set of instructions to teach Che
public how to prevent the spread of
the disease
Tuberculosis is, of all diseases, that
which has the most victims. In large
cities they make up from one-fourth to
one-seventh of the mortality.
ITO explain this high figure it must
be understood that pulmonary phthisis
is not the only manifestation of tuber
culosis, as is enormously believed In
fact. many cases of bronchial troubles,
of pleurisy, of meningitis, of peritonitis,
enteritis, of osseous and joint LESSONS,
cOlu aDSceSSeS, etc, are OF the same ma
ture.
Tuberculosis is an infectious, para
site disease, caused by microbes; but it
can be caught by healthy person from
a patient only under special conditions,
which we will state.
Besides hereditary transmission, the
tuberculosis microbe enters the human
organism by the air in breathing,
through the digestive organs in eating,
through the skin by stings, scratches,
sores, wounds, ulcers, etc.
1.-THE most frequent and dreadful
source of contagion lies in the expector-
alton of consumptive patients. Almost
harmless while in a liquid condition, 1t
becomes dangerous when reduced to
powder. 1t assumes that form often
when spat upon the ground, the floor,
or upon wall; when it falls on cloth
ing, bedclothes or sheets, curtains,
handkerchiefs, napkins, etc.
when dried and in powder, it is
stirred by the dust cloth, the broom,
brush, or carpet beater. This dust sus-
pended in the air, enters the respiratory
organs, falls upon portions of the body,
upon objects used in cooking, plates
and dishes, and thus becomes a perma-
nenet danger to persons sojourning in
the contaminated atmosphere. The
germs of cOntagion also exist in the
excavations of the patients, produced
final LESSONS so common in such dis
eases.
TT is indispensable therefore
ITO take the most careful precau-
tions regarding the eXpectoratiOn of
consumptives. 1t should always be
elected into porcelain or glass spittoons,
containing a certain quantity of liquid;
and not in such matter as sawdust,
BRAN sand, or ashes. The handkerchief
upon which the patient should wipe his
lips only, and upon which he should
never spit, should be renewed every
day
THE contents of the spittoons should
be mixed with sawdust or some other
combustible and burned, or at least
emptied into the water closet. If emp
tied into the yard, they may tuberculize
fowls or allow microbes to spread
through the air. No known disinfectant
is powerful enough to rapidly destroy
the tuberculS contained in saliva;