The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-30
GERMS DOOM
 FIVE MILLION Tuberculosis Mans Chief
 Enemy. DECLARATION BY SCIENTIST Urges People to Act to Prevent Calamity. Distinguished Men From All Parts sf The World Discus. Methods of
 preventins and Handling
 Dread Disease.

Washington, Sept. 29--That i've mil. lion people now living fin the United States are doomed to fill consumptives graves unless something Is done to prevent 1t. was the startling declara- ton of Professor Irving Fisaer. of Yale University. in an address on the Cost of Tuberculesis' before the In ternational Congress on Tpbercuiosis today.
 Professor Fishers address. whicn was the feature of the day, created sensation among the handreds who lis- tened to his statements.
 Professor Fisher further declared that the 13S.000 persons who die of consumption annually in this country. cost. in hard cash, over one billion doi- lars a year.
 In Section 1. in which 1t is expect- ed the most Of the scientific discus sions and discoveries will develop. there was discussion of great import ance to the congress when Professor Calmett. of Lilie. France. Director or the sasteur Institute. advanced the theory that tuberchle baccillI are th- ken into the system by swallowinK. Heretofore inhalation has been consid- cred the principal method of contract Ing consumption.
 Infection by inhalation was warmly defended by Professor Tendeioo- of Holland.
 The second sessioAs of the congress- opened at 9:30 o'clock this morning. The morning was devoted to the work of Section 1. with Dr. William H. Welch. Of Baltimore, presiding.
 The discussions dealt principally with such phases of tuberculosis ae channels of Infection, latent infection. predisposition and heredity.
 There were many distinguished nied- teal scientists from abroad.
 EurQNon GNnRral Efnn0u vOn TYufrNs berger. of St. Petersburg. Russia. Hon. orary Physician at the czar.s Court. contributed his views on aHeredity in Tuberculosis.
 Hereafty Dssens.ea.
 'Alf tendency to disease that appears in any individual.s asserted pr. unsre- berger. lis 10 be regarded as heredit- ary, whether or not the corresponding disease can be traced back each time to parents or ancestors The tendency to consumption is inherited and may be developed by various agencies. Nu- merous autopsies show that every man over 90 years of age has old remains of tuberculosis infection. These facts show how comparatively easy the hu- man organism can overcome the tuber- cle bacciiIi and give us the indi- cation for our treatment, the strength ening of the organism by hygienic and dietetic means. We must seek to de- stroy the tubercle bacillus but our chief enedavors must be directed tc- ards strengthening tne body"
 pr. Julius Bartel of Vienna. discus-,- sing the routes of infection. said:
 The infection from pharnyx. stom- ach and intestines is far more fre- quent, particularly during early life. than has generally been considered. Of less importance. as compared with gen eral hygienic relations. Is the constant dispute concerning the more frequent .N taNN fs~a IA. .Ia.m lowing or inhalation, inasnuch as it Is difficult to judge sne relative effects of deglutition and aspiration"
 pr. Carl Hart, Berlin. in hls views on the subject of predisposltlNn of the apices of the lungs to puimUnary tu- berculosis. declared that asi6s szss.a infection the cause of pulmonary tuber- culosis In youthful individuals Is 10 he sought in an individual predisposf- ion due to anatomic and functional dis turbances of the normal conditions around the superior aperture of tho thorax The final outcome of this bat tie between the tubercie baccilli and the tissues, depends on the degree of the functional disturbance, he declared
 pr. Samuel Bernheim. of Paris. quot ing from clinical facts and experiments on animals. drew the conclusion that tuberculosis is chiefly transmitted by ~ial germs and by way of respiratory tracts. He further stated that tns skin may serve as a channel of en- lnce to tuberculosis in conditions particularly favorable to contamina- tion. although this could not be con sidered a factor of first importance.
 other Papers Read.
 Other speakers on the program and their subjects were: Professor N. Pi. TendeIoo, Leyden. Channels of Tn- fection": pr, K. Gus Angicourt. France. sources and Paths of Tuberculosis Infection: Professor Francis Harbitz Cnristiana. Latent Tuberculosis"; Pro- lessor A. S. Warthin. Ann Arbor. Mich, "The Present State of Our Knowledge Concerning Heredit in Tuberculosis"; pr. Johan von Szaboky. Budapest -Gleichenberg. "The Rola Of Inherited Predisposition in the Etiol- ogy of Tuberculosis'; Professor B. Stil- Ter, of Budapest, Pulmonary Tubercu- losis and Athenia Universalls."
 After a recess. Sections 1 and 2 of the congress held a joint session this afternoon. convening at 2:3a o'clock. The principal subjects discussed were: "Conjunctive and Cutaneous Tubercu- lin Reactions" "Opsonic Index" and