The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1908-12-19
TUBERCULOSIS CONGRESS.
Some Lessons from the Recent Inter
national Gathering at Washington.

The optimism displayed by those ser
wants who convened in Washington
during September and October, regard
ing the control if not annihilation Of
tuberculosis, was one of the most en-
couraging signs of the times. Proven
tiOn was the keynote of the meeting.
The world is only waking up to what
can be accomplished in this way. 1t is
now well known that the tuhercle
bacillus is necessary to the develop
ment of the disease. Persons afflicted
with the disease throw these germs off
in large numbers with the sputum and
to certain extent from the bowels IL
al these were killed by distinction or
burning and our dairy herds were
cleared OF infected cows-which can
easily be done with the tuberculin test
the world would soon be rid of the
disease. But as il is hardly possible
that they will all be destroyed In this
way. we have to look to measures de
stined to increase the resistance OF the
individual as we'll. The exposure OF
the gern-laden material to fresh air
and sunlight soon impairs its vitality
to such degree that it is much more
easily resisted-in fact it has been
shown that two or three hours expos
ure to direct sunlight renders it rrac-
tically harmless.
The resistance of the individual is
increased by the inhalation of an abun-
dance of fresh air. In the living room
or sleeping room there should he
enough circulation of air, that the
breath of air that is eXhaled should he
carried away from the individuals ros-
trils before the succeeding nspiTa-
ton takes place so that there is as lit
tie rebreathing Of air as possible, be-
cause it is well known that the germs
cannot stand oxygen and for the
further reason that the oxygen is a
stimulant to the lung tissue and ena-
bles it to resist the onslaught of any
chance germ which may have found
lodgment; as evidence of this fact, y
is almost always the parts of the lungs
that are most difficult for air to reach
that are first affected when the dan
ger sets in
A considerable portion, at least, OF
the disease is caused by the germs be-
ing taken with food and drink. The
principal source of infection by this
/ route. is milk which has come from
dairy herd, some one or more of WHICH
are tuberculous. Flies and other yer
min sometimes feed upon germ laden
sDutum or other material and then
carry il to food which is left nnpro-
teCted Food is also infected by such
sputum driving and being blown about
with the dust. Heredity plays very
small part although it is recognized
that person born Of a family in which
there is a strong hereditary tendentT IS
q little more likely to contract The dis
ease than others would be. \ person
infected with tuberculosis SHOULD never
spit in the open. but always inio some
receptacle. in order that the germs
NAV be destroyed instead of beiug s@t
at large to infect some one else. By
simple measures like these, tubercuio-
sis has in less than ten years lost ITS
place of distinction as Captain of the
Men of Death" destroying one sew
enth of the human family. Prussia has
reduced her death rate from :his
cause. 40 per cent in ten years, New
York so per cent. in fifteen years,
] Boston 80 per cent. in twenty yeaES-
The reduction during the three ysars
that have elapsed since the last u'eeE-
ing of the Congress has been twice as
rapid as any previous period OF the
! same length of time.
The opinion was expressed by III
Lawrence F. Flick. director OF the
Phipps Institute in Philadelphia. that X
the crusade was continued with the
yigor which seems likely, tuberculosis
will he as well controlled in fifteen
Years as smallpox is now.