The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1906-01-18
DIR. Harriet Jones on White Plague

| phcable to every city and community
are the Doctors deductions, that we
herewith reproduce the first of these
articles entire, together with the Intel
ligencer's opening comment:
1.-The question of the spread of tuber-
culosis is attracting particular attention
now in the medical world and in many
localities and authorities are beginning
to take steps to prevent the spread of
the disease. 1t is being recognized now
that sanitary conditions have much to do
with the life of the tubercle bacilli and
steps are being taken in many places to
remedy the cause of the evil.
''Dr. Harriet B. Joues, the well
known physician of Wheeling, has given
this subject much special study and has
kindly consented to furnish the Intelli-
gencer with a series of articles bearing
on the cause, prevention and cure of
tuberculosis. The first of these special
articles appears this morning below and
the others will follow.
''The subject of the article this morn
ing is The Prevalence of tuberculosis
and the Danger of Infection. The sub
jects of the other three which will ap-
pear in order will be: What Measures
Can be Taken by the City to Prevent
the Spread of This Most Prevalent and
Dangerous Disease What Can the
Patient Do to Protect Himself and
Friends From the GERM What Can
be Done to Cure the Victims of This
Disease?' The first article follows:
'This disease has been found to be
the greatest single cause of death in
large cities. In the year 1890, 1O2, 1899
persons died of consumption in the Unit
ed States. In 1900, Ill, O59 died of con-
sumption, over 1000 to 100, 900 deaths.
cover 100, 600 lives a year are lost in
the United States through this disease.
One death out of every ten is caused by
consumption. More people die of con-
sumption than of scarlet fever, measles,
typhoid fever, diphtheria, whooping
cough and influenza together.
Eighty per cent. of tuberculosis are
between the ages Is and so, the most
productive time of life. Think of the
loss in the earning capacity of the COM
munity of this large number besides the
number of those actually dependent upon
public and private charity is greatly in
creased byithis lingering disease The
cost to the country, by the loss of labor
Of this vast army is very great,
1T is indeed vast army, for more
people died of consumption in the United
States in one year than were killed in
the whole civil war. The prevalence of
this white plague in our own city is suffic-
iently great to arouse some interest in
preventing its spread. The recent sad
case Of the colored man who died in
abject poverty, is only one of many like
cases who are menace to the whole
community.
"And there are houses in this city
where one, two and three families have
lived in turn, each losing a member of
the family from tuberculosis, and yet
the homes were not disinfected as it
would have been after small pox.
''The number of deaths from this dis
ease is appalling, but the half has not
been told, for tuberculosis attacks every
organ and tistue of the body. Think of
the miserable and crippled human beings
attacked by lupus of the skin; scrofula
in the glands; spinal carries in the verte-
brae; Potts disease in the hip, and white
swelling in the joints; all tuberculosis
under other names.
CDR. Flick says Our insane hospitals
and orphan asylums, our homes and hos
pitfalls for crippled children, our reform
atories, prisons and penitentiaries are
filled with the indirect results of tuber-
culosis. 1t is a little over twenty years
ago since Dr. Koch discovered the ba-
cilli of tuberculosis, and proved it to be
an infectious disease.
"COnsumptives are most dangerous
when they are far advanced and very i'll. |
While eXpectorating great deal, they
are too i'll or too careless to destroy the
sputum. The tubercle bacilla only grows |
and multiplies in human beings and ami
mails. 1t only exists in the secretions
and eXcretions of tuberculosis human
beings and the milk and meat of tuber
culosis animals.
The breath of tuberculosis patients
has not been found to contain the bacili. |
The sputa Of consumptives becomes dry
and pulverized, is infused to the air and |
inhaled. The greatest danger is the
inhalation of the germs as they float |
in the air of contaminated halls and .
rooms of dwellings, factories and poorly
ventilated buildings which have been in
fected by the dread sputum of the tu-
berculosis person and the most potent
source of infection.
cit is preventable without doubt and
by simple measures many useful lives
might be saved and the earning capacity
of large number of persons in
creased "