New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-23
CONSUMPTION ON RAILWAYS.

DR.. Charles B. Dudley, the chemist of the
| Pennsylvania Railroad, is convinced that the
| danger Of acquiring pulmonary consumption
| from riding in cars which have carried victims
| of that maIady has been exaggerated. He has
! reached that conclusion after an elaborate in
| qury, and he gave its results to the American
| Public Health Association at the last meeting
of that organization, Engineering News" has
| just printed his paper the subject in
full Examination Of it shows that though he
has directly investigated only one phase of the
question the authorities on whom he principally
relies are reputable and trustworthy.
One Of the most instructive methods of ascer-
tanning the influence Of the suspected environ
ment on the occasional traveller is, obviously, to
ask how those are affected who are exposed to
it almost continuously For the census report
of 1900 q special study was made Of the mortal
ity from various causes in a number of different
occupations This shows that there on
average 1878 deaths from tuberculosis for
every 100000 inhabitants; but the mean for
railroad employees" is only 1898. Since no dis
tincton is made in the returns between office
clerks and men engaged in the operation of
passenger trains, DR. Dudey wisely determined
not to base any argument on these statistics.
In the records of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company's Relief Fund for eighteen years he
found more instructive data. Therein it ap-
peared that the death rate from consumption
was $50 out Of 100000 for passenger conductors,
400 for freight conductors, and much smaller
for the two classes of brakemen.
The figures here quoted are susceptible of
more than one Interpretation. DR.. Dudley de-
clares that the brakemen were much younger
than the conductors and that most of them had
been subjected to a physical examination be-
fore being enrolled, whereas the conductors
were not thus tested. He then remarks that
the difference in mischief done between the two
classes of conductors hardly bears out the the
DRY that passenger cars are dangerously in
fected Possibly DR.. DudIey's explanation Of
the fact that more conductors than brakemen
succumb may be the correct one. Without fur
Their information It cannot safely be disputed
But 1t should be noted that the duties of the
freight conductor are more exacting and involve
more exposure and irregularity in hours than do
those of the passenger conductor. Hence as
Engineering News" points out in its comment
on DR.. Dudley's paper, employees of the former
class would have poorer chance to shake off
incipient consumption than these of the latter
Interesting as these facts are. then, it is not
altogether clear what they prove.
The main question has been attacked in an
other way by DR. J. J. KInyoun, of Glen Olden,
Penn, and Dr. Dudley believes that the re-
search Is the first of its kind ever undertaken
Examinations were made of four classes of ma
terial obtained from day coaches and sleeping
cars. These were carpet dust, particles adher-
ing to bedding hangings and upholstery and
removed by damp swabs; samples of air and
the suspicious residuum of drinking cups Nearly
two hundred tests were made for bacteria from
such sources, and only in a single instance was
there result which excited suspicion DR.. Dud-
ley adds to this statement an account of an in
qury of his own, designed to indicate whether
plush upholstery and the hangings Of a sleeping
car were more dangerous than smooth surfaces
He found that light breeze would disodge and
leave suspended in the air 81 per cent of anv
particles which had become temporarily at
tached to glass and woodwork while only IL
per cent were freed from cloth His concIu-
sion is that the cutlery against fabrics which
cannot be cleaned easily is not altogether war
ranted
AS the case now stands there is an evident
need of pursuing the investigation made by DIR.
Dudley and others little further DR.. Kin
youn's hunt for bacteria should be repeated nv
half a dozen more experts, eacl. acting indie
pendently. 1t is conceivable that there were
defects of method in the original tests II "a
also desirable that more definite information
should be obtained about the mortality among
sleeping car porters and the persons EMPLOYED
TO sweep and wash day coaches at railway fer
minals. DIR. Dudley applied to the Pullman
company for such light as it could throw on
the question, but no statistics were procurabIe
and the company merely replied that II had
never known of either conductor or nortor
acquiring any disease in car, except one casa
"of smallpox IF, however. the argument Go |
yet incomplete it nevertheless encourages
belief that the peril incident to travel has bean
oVerestimated Sanltarians will now he forcad
TO produce more specific evidence than has
been offered hitherto in order to sustain their |
theories