Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-17
VIEW ON TUBERCULOSIS.
DR.. II. L. e. Johnson's Suggestion
Of Prevention of Disease.

Dr. II. l.. E. johnson of this city, who
was a delegate to the third international
sanitary convention of the American re-
puoiics, held December to in the
City OF Mexico. returned home yesterday
with his wife after a three weeks alb
sence. The convention brought together
prominent physicians from the United
States and all the South and Central
American republics. The next convention
will be held in Costa RIGA.
DR.. Johnson read a paper before the
convention, in which he offered the fol-
lowing suggestions for the prevention Of
transmission of tuberculosis to healthy
persons travelling on trains, ships and else
where:
"Tubercular subjects should not be en-
which brings them in direct contact with
persons not so affected, nor should they
be permitted to handle or come in con-
tact with the food, water or beverage
supply. No person so affected should be
employed as porter. or in any capacity
In dining car. ship saloon or kitchen.
tuberculosis patients and the general pub
lie should be infinitely instructed concern
ing the cause, transmission, early symp-
toms. disinfection Of sputum, danger of
contact either through drinking and eat
Ing utensils or otherwise, and the abso-
lutte necessity Of cooperation in enforc-
ing the recognized hygienic methods for
preventing spread of the disease. All
flies, mosquitoes and vermin should be
destroyed.
Transportation companies should be
required to furnish separate cars, sections
or other isolated space for persons known
caution essential on those lines which
convey tubercular persons to the various
cure localities and continuing onward as
through lines, sell to new passengers,
without the slightest disinfectien, the
staterooms or berths vacated by the In
fected passengers. Specific instances of
this neglect have repeatedly come under
my personal observation.
'Disinfection should be absolute as to
cars, ships. eating and drinking utensils
napkins. bedding, towels, carpets. dra-
peries. cuspidors, sputum and washbasin
drains. The latter should be flushed and
freed from accumulation by the use Of
superheated steam at high pressure. The
slow discharge from Pullman wash basins,
resulting from obstructive accommodations.
is familiar to almost every passenger,
but Is not surprising when one witnesses
each morning the use of the basins for
splitting and misunderstanding purposes.
Anticipating cards and a special waste
sink in the Mushrooms for such use
would be a decided hygienic improve
ment. and the same is recommended.
II suggest as a precautionary and pre-
ventive measure that persons presumably
healthy should voluntarily, as routine
health matter. have thorough examina-
ton made at stated intervals to deter
mine the presence or absence of tubercu-
lar infection. believe that large per-
centase of the grave or fatal cases OF
tuberculosis could be cured If diagnosti-
Gated and treated at the earliest deter
minable stage of the disease. Unrecog-
nized, mild and incipient cases Of tuber-
culosis are causative Of a greater zone Of
infection than are advanced cases which
are under modern treatment and control"