The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-08-14
1.-THE WHITE PLAGUE. I
People Don't Inherit Consumption
from their Parents.

from their Parents.
The New Jersey Society for the Pre-
vention of tuberculosis was organized
in February, 1906 One of it's chief
methods is the dissemination of in
formation concerning the cause and
prevention Of tuberculosis. a series
Of articles on this subject, Of which
! the first is summarized below, has been
prepared. tuberculosis may affect any
organ, but the lungs are most often
attacked. Here it is known. as 6 con-
sumption" tuberculosis des troys
more than 1000 people in this State
every year. If allowed to go on I'M
checked fully 100000 of those now liy-
ing in New Jersey must die from this
disease. The disease has been known
from the earliest history of medicine,
and its infectious nature is not re-
cent discovery. In Naples, in 1852, a
royal decree required the disease to be
reported and quarantined distinction
was carried out after the death or re-
covery Of the patient. This correct
idea was gradually dispelled by the
false theory of heredity, which has cost
millions of human lives. One may in
herit ia tendency totuberculosis. Other
things being equal, child with one
parent, and especially both, consunp-
tive, will be more apt to develop the
disease when exposed to the exciting
cause than child whose parents have
been free from tuberculosis.
Experiments with cattle are instruc-
tive. Calves separated from tuber-
culous mothers at birth rarely develop
the disease if kept from other animals
affected with tuberculosis. The same
results may be obtained in the human
family. Bernheim gives the following
striking examples;
The family B, was composed Of five
children, father, who died of con-
sumption, and mother who was WE'LL
The second child was removed from it's
home Immediately after its birth, rear
ed by healthy nurse until he was ID
years of age, and then put In school.
He is now a healthy man of SO. He
has never lived with his parents. The
four other children lived with their
parents. Two OF them have died OF
pulmonary tuberculosis, and the other
two have the disease in an advanced
stage. In another family of seven chill
dren the father and mother were both
tuberculous. The second and fifth
child were removed from their pa
rents and their brothers and sisters,
and never lived with them The five
children reared by their parents have
all died of tuberculosis. The two who
were isolaued have remained well, are
now both married and have fine
healthy children of their own.
This early and complete separation
of children and parents is seldom pos
sible, nor is it necessary, for if strict
precautions are taken by consumptiye
parents to guard their offspring
against infection in the home. they
will be in little danger Of contracting
the disease. We may dismiss heredity,
then, by saying chat it is simply a pre-
disposing cause OF tuberculosis, like
alcoholism, overcrowding, bad yenti-
lation, damp soil, etc. No one need
be disheartened because he has lost a
parent or near relative from consump-
tion. He is, it ls true, slightly more
( prone to the disease than others. But
this predisposition may be overcome
by simple hygienic measures, which
! will at the same time protect him
against many other diseases due to
faulty habits OF living