Waterbury Democrat., 1901-04-09
CAUSE OF MUCH SICKNESS.
The Disgusting Habit of Expectorat-
 ing in Public Places.

N~As9 ~ =. ee "
 A timely article in the Hartford Courant says tliat among the objects to wliicIg New Workers devoted themselves during last week was the abolition, by process of law, of public, or at least1i ipromiscuou ex- pectoration. A Tliemsubject is not q pleasant one, notsinsa newspaper, nor in a car or omnihuis, nor on, the side walk. The following paragraphs from a. statement just made by Dr John F. Crosby, commissioner of the New York board of health, in regard to this too prevalent custom, ought to be read and remembered:
 It is n " ll-known fact but too often forgotten that most of the diseases of the respiratory tracts, including diph- theria, measles, scarlet fever, pneu- monia, tuberculosis, influenza, and probably all acute forms of bronchitis, are the result of the action of germs which are present in the secretions of the respiratory tract, It has been shown also by. recent Investigations that in many instances these germs are present for long periods of time during conyalescence from these dis eases in the mucous secretions and in mild and unrecognized cases.
 Through splitting in public convey ances, on sidewalks, station platforms, of elevated railways, in public build ings, etc, the germs producing these diseases are widely disseminated and are constantly tracked into the houses on the soles of shoes and through the trailing skirts of women, which have 11.a Io1 1lxy ;, s<>~x These considerations from a public health viewpoint. are quite sufficient in themselves to justify the enactment of stringent regulations prohibiting this practice aside from the .flthiness of, the habit,san the public nuisance which those who practice it become.
 pr Crosby says further that by 8 conservative estimate there are twen- ty thousand cases of tuberculosis (some form of consumption in the borough Of Manhattan; and that a large majority of these diseased per sons, fin the infectious,stage are nov ing freely around tl1e streets of the city expectorating on the sidewalks, in public conveyances, and wherever it may be conyenient.'- The tubercle bacilli are the cause of this disease; and 1t is estimated that one person, in the active stage, may discharge not less than five billions of these germs in the sputum in the course oftwenty- four hours. When this diseased sputum dries and is pulyerized the germs float as dust, and the New York CTS are in constant danger of breathing them, through the nose and more par ticulary through the mouth, when one wears that feature open. Dr Crosby adds that from one-third to one-half of the annual deaths i'll New York city are due to diseases which may be transmitted through expectoration.
 We have seen a sidewalk, not hun dred miles from Hartford, on q sun shiny day, so besprinkled that one would have thought that it had been raining. Whether the climate is re- sponsible, or it is all due to habit, handed down from father to son, we cannot say. At any rate, every com munity has deep interest in abolish- ing the free use of the streets and pulp lie vehicles and public buildings for such private and unwholesome pur- poses.