The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-01

they viii promote unfavorable rather than
favorable conditions for the growth OF
those germs which start the disease on its
deadly course
CHIEF DIFFICULTY.
The chief difficulty to contend with is to
hinder th.s spread of the disease among
the poor and ignorant. However, in order
make more effective efforts at proven
ton. I believe that we need in addition
10 the great diffusion of knowledge and in
TeIligence about tuberculosis. two things.
The first and most important is. we need
a hospital for the consUmptive poor. You
see. there: is practically no where for them
TO 90 as; il is now. The poor who are
stricken With this deadly disease have been
excluded from hospitals where they were
formerly admitted, and as IL is. they gen
orally LIVE in little rooms all huddled to-
gether so' that every member of the family
IS brought into such close contact with the
one who Is suffering from consumption that
before il has run its course the whole fam
fly is infected with il and die off one after
another. In justice TO them and for self
protection: 10 the community such a hos
pital as this should be erected This would
offer the poor who have consumption the
greatest comforts during their illness and
the best prospects for Improvement. if not
fer eure.l and at the same time their re-
movaI to such an institution would take
away a great source of infection from their
homes.
The second thing is to have reported to
the Board of Health all known cases of
tuberculosis in order that we may know
where the disease exists. and then the
sanitary authorities may take such meas
ures as may seem needful and expedient
To limit the spreading of the poison and to
insure the disinfection Of infected homes.
The duties OF these authorities should also
be to assist in the care Of those who are
chrOnically sick and not able to pro-
vide properly for themselves. l know that
there have been some objections TO such
reports being made TO the Health Board,
as being; unnecessary and unwise, but if
nationally and judicialIy used they might
greatly interfere with and lessen the spread
of consumption, which we are trying to
stamp out"
rs tuberculosis inherited?" the reporter
asked DE-. Potter
'-As to: the heredity of tuberculosis there
has been much investigation, and for a long
time soTe Of the best authorities contended
that it vas a disease which was inherited.
But the; result of these investigations
showed that the actual disease is seldom
Inherited. More frequently it will be found
that weak constitution is inherited, and
IN this way the body is prepared for the
germ, and of course such people are in a
measure susceptible to consumption.
HEREDITARY TRANSMISSION.
1T is thought by people who are more or
less uhacquainted with the ways Of tuber-
culOss that it is an inherited disease, but
very often what il thought to be an heredi-
tary transmission in reality is nothing
more tltan infection within the family
Whenever you find one member of a family
after another affected with consumption
you will also find that these members were
more or less closely associated with each
other duriag all stages of it. And then you
will find. that some families have weak con-
situations and one member may take tuber-
culosis from some protracted Illness and
soon it will run through the whole family"
Dr. Potter was asked if it was not true
that tuberculosis is the most destructive Of
all diseases at the present time. and he re-
piled:
''Yes: probably of all the diseases that
we are familiar with tuberculosis is the
-. destructive to-day. And yet we are
at tre present time in a position to more
successfully combat il. We are able to
know all about its various methods of pro-
gressiOm and we are able to recognize it
with certainty in its first stages.
1.-THE methods of treatment, while there
may be no specific cure and each physician
may, to a certain extent have his own
methods of treatment, are all more efficient
than they were some years ago. And then,
again. the easy recognition OF the disease
greatly aids in the trea tment. But after
ALL the preventive measures are the more
there need be no doubt about it. In other
words to quote Scripture, that the way
faring man. though he be a fool. need not
err therein We must prevent the spread
OF the disease, which. l think, while it is
diminishing among the more prosperous
and thrifty class of people. is increasing
among the poor and unfortunate. We can
only do this by stopping the spread of the
germs. and we must promote such modes
of hygienic living, and dwellings must be
so constructed as to render the conditions
unfavorable to consumption.
II win venture to say that if we would
intelllgently and vigorously act upon the
knowledge that we have at hand to-day in
ten years We would diminish the prevalence
of this disease at least so per cent