Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-01
MANY DOCTORS HEARD
Physicians Views Given to Sen.
ate District Committee.
SPREAD OF CONSUMPTION
Proposed Registration of Cases Of
tuberculosis.
SUBSTITUTE Is SUBMITTED
Washington Declared to Be Behind
a. MI
SPREAD OF CONSUMPTION
Washington Declared to Be Behind
Other Cities in Taking Measures
to Check "the White Plague"

u SuSCk Cu0 " u1CS
The Senate committee on the District Of
Columbia today gave hearing on Senate
bill 7041, to provide for reports and regis
tration of all cases of tuberculosis in the
District of Columbia, for free examination
of sputum and for preventing the spread of
tuberculosis. The bill declares tuberculosis
to be an infectious and communicable dis
ease, and sets out regulations for report
and registration of cases.
Those present at the hearing were Mr..
w. H. Baldwin director of the National
Association for the Study and Prevention
of tuberculosis; DR.. Henry B. Jacobs OF
Baltimore. secretary of that association;
DIR. w. s. Thayer Of Johns Hopkins Uni
versity. Gen. sternberg. Health Officer
Woodward. DIR. ]. G.. B. Custfs. Dr. Louis
Mackall, DR.. D. K. Shute, Mr.. William
Baldwin, DR.. ]. D. Thomas, DR.. Dorsey,
ler secretary of Associated Charities; DR..
w. c. Reeves. Rev. John Van Setback, jr.
Dr.. F. A Swartwout. DIR. John B. Nichols
and DIR. c. W. McNaughton.
Chairman Gallnger said he was In receipt
of a large number of letters from persons
advocating the proposed legislation.
This City Behind Others.
tee. presenting a pamphlet giving statistics
of the efforts in other cities to check tuber
culosis by sanitary regulations. He said
the Washington Board of Trade had taken
I'D this subject In 1903 and recommended
legislation He said that fifty-three out of
eighty-six cities have law similar TO the
proposed bill. In fifteen of the largest
cities only Washington and New orleans
are without such a law.
In twenty -one of the largest cities, WASH
ington Is the only one that does not provide
for free examination Of sputum He denied
that the bill has a sociatistic tendency the
free examination Of sputum is to protect
the public and not an act OF charity. Inc
Commissioners had asked for the passage
Of the bill because they have no power 10
make regulations.
Chairman Ganinger said that If the bill
Is reported 1t will not define consumption
as an infectious disease.
Contraction of Consumption.
Prof Thayer of Baltimore advocated the
BILL He said that one-fifth to one-tenth
of the mortality Of the world Is due to
consumption. He described how consump-
ton was contracted by the entrance OF
baciili into the lungs, and he said that
bacilli lived for a long time in clothing.
carpets and on the ceiling and floors OF
rooms. He declared that consumption GER
tainly Is an infectious disease. and that. al
though there Is question as to Its being
transmitted through heredfty, there is no
doubt of its being transmitted by infection.
The dust in rooms and in Railways and In
minor degree in the dirty streets, carries
the bacilli to the human system. Con-
sumption is essentially a disease OF the
home and fireside. He told OF one case
coming under his knowledge four days ago.
A man had died last April of consumption.
His room was not disiRfected, and was i'm
mediately occupied by another tenant a
strong and healthy man. Within three
fho f6n
consumption. and Is now a patient in the
hospital If that room had been disin-
fected by the health officer this other mans
life might have been saved. 1t was not
disinfected, because the original case had
been reported as bronchitis. DR.. Thayer
said that sputum from consumptive will
live for months in room not property
lighted and ventilated.
He said that the pending bill makes 1t
| the duty of the health officer to see to it
| that the ordinary precautions are taken to
| to be the model city in this regard, and said
that the regulations enforced there have
| reduced the mortality from consumption
near Is per cent in ten years. Dealing with
ton OF patients. he said there has never
been a complaint in Baltimore on the
! ground Of publicity. The regulations would
prevent publicity. and In the pending bill
| the health officer would be fined for making
public a case registered with him.
Senator Burkett raised the question
whether a physician might not, through
| ignorance or malice. put a man on record
as having tuberculosis when In fact he
| might be suffering only from bronchitis,
and thus prejudice not only the patient,
but his children forever afterward, with
Insurance companies.
Chairman Gailinger replied that one pur-
pose Of the examination Of sputum by the
health officer is to enable him to prevent
a physician from putting on record a false
preliminary diagnosis.
Prof, Thayer smoke of the qood work
| being done everywhere in putting down the
white plague. He said q great tnterna-
tOnal movement against tuberculosis has
been organized. America Is in line with It,
but the national capital Is behind the times.
The question. he said, comes home to every
man. for there Is hardly any one who does
not know some one in his circle Of asso-
ciates who is not afflicted in this way.
Medical society's Substitute.
DR.. shoup of the George Washington Uni
versity. in behalf of the Medical Society,
opposed the pending bill and presented a
substitute in behalf of his society. He said
that the practicing physicians of the city
realize the dread danger of tuberculosis
and are In harmony with efforts to prevent
It, but did not agree to the pending bill.
He said they think that compulsory regis
tration Is cruel. almost barbarous, and that
1t would work great hardship upon those
who are subject to It, He declared that II
q spirit of unreasoning cowardice Is incul-
Gated in the public as to tuberculosis 1t
would certainly prejudice every victim Of
that disease In getting employment and
even in renting houses.
DIR. Shoup contended that compulsory reg
istratiOn has not reduced mortality, but
that the reduction has been due to other
features of the campaign against tuber-
| culosis; such as the care of physicians in
the sanitary surroundings of their pa
| TENTS and the raising of the standard Of
living among the very poor. whose sur
| roundings make them the victims of the
disease. He held that the main difference
between the substitute bill and the pending
bill was that the substitute made regis
| tration compulsory only upon INDECENT pa
| tients and relieved the doctors of unneces-
| sary requirements to espionage over
\ cases. He insisted that well-to-do patients
should not be required to register because
4 they were under the care Of Competent
| physicians who were fulfilling all the re-
| Quirements OF the law.
Senator Burkett suggested that the sub
| stitute bill was trying to do two things:
| to keep the rich man from being registered
and to relieve the doctors from responsible
| ity and work.
i r.