The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-03-08

l.oo,y Tint the disease itself Is NOT h.iyn
Nno" nv, thar, are inherited certain
80 titniional weaknesses when ltnLo'
Ia individual "A more easy pre-! 70 Wy
s ,nrms once they have gained an en-
trance, go, sgectad with
tuberculosis, the children, from the v9i
East moment Of life are exposed 10 w
J;.ease under the most favorable cohiI
- for ~ transmission; for not ohil
10 dust nj the house likely TO contain
ia LariG but the relation between pa
Int and children, especially between
neither and child, are Of that close anu
Intimate nature especially favorable ior
transmission hy direct contact -.,
,,Tbe tre1uent occurrence Of seNeId'
c,s.s NJ consumption in a family H. theh,
nnt 10 be explained on the supposltlol
tba, the disease itself has been inherited
IUt that il has been produced after DiFlh
by Transmission direct from some Quiet
nv" III follows. from what has been said
that tuberculosis is commuhleaoie u'n
ease and is, therefore preventanle' II
il Is preventable, the natural question
10 ask is: Why Is 1t not prevented II
i not prevented because Of the lhIluei-
ence OF the public. II Is diihGult 10
root out old ideas, and 1t !, stlIl moie
difficult to get people TO- ADOPT piecau.
lions against an evil which, although so
fatal In its ultimate results, does not
striEe the uublic mind with the startling
suidenness effected by the appearance Of
cholera. smallpox or diphtherla. II our
fashionable women, heads of families, m
stitutions and industrial concerns, togethl,,
er with the poor consumptives, would ar
do their duty TO their neighbors, the
spectre of tuberculosis would gradually
disappear, and with II much suffering
and misery.
TO sum up, then, we find the follow
ing as accepted facts:
Il Consumption is caused only by a
germ which comes from the living, al
fected with consumption.
80. Consumption is preventable, be
cause for practical purposes, the great
source of infectiOn-the spittle-can be
easily disinfected or destroyed. Remove
the spittle or sputum as source OF m
lection. and consumption must 60 Tar to-
ward disappearing.
20. Consumption is not hereditary, nor
is il easily contracted If reasonable care
be taken, $685..
=. The careless consumptive patient
is focus OF infection and danger to all
persons who come much in proximity to
him or visit the places he frequents.
Anything tending to lower the tone
of the general health may act as pre-
disposing cause-insutficient nourishment,
overwork loss of sleep, worry, close and
dusty air. Avoid these. Give sleeping
rooms a prolonged airing and summing in
the day and as much night ventilation
as is practicable. The dwelling place
should be dry naturally or made so ar
tifcally. If it is thought that there is
a family predisposition to consumption,
an outdoor occupation should be chosen
Live in the open air and sunshine as
much as possible.
Every new case OF tuberculosis comes
from some earlier case. The germs of
this disease retain their vitality and their
infectivity a long time under favorable
conditions. Therefore. do not bring into
your house clothing formerly used by
consumptives unless it has been thorough
" disinfected; do not allow your wives
and daughters to risk injecting their
home with dresses that have wiped up
the sidewalks. Do not move into an in
fected house or rooms until the thorough
ness of the disinfection is unquestionable:
do not put to your Inns or mouth pipes.
wind instruments money, or ANYTHING
else that has been used or handled by
consumptives; do not buy bread, milk or
other articles of food not to be cooked
from consumptives. Kissing particularly
lin to lip, is unsafe if one person is
tuberculous.'