The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1908-12-16
TUBERCULOSIS CONGRESS-
Some Lessons from the Recent
national Gathering at Washinoi

national Gathering at Washinqn
The optimism displayed by thosf
wants who convened in WASN'T
during September and October, nj
ing the control, If not annihilati9'
tuberculosis, was one of the MOI
couraging signs of the times. p!
ton was the keynote of tkImei
The world is only waking up to
can be accomplished In this way.
now well known that the tn,
bacillus is necessary to the def
ment of the disease. Persons affi,
with the disease throw these germ
In large numbers with the sputur.
to a certain extent from the bowl,
al these were killed by disinfectir
burning and our dairy herds
cleared of infected cows-whicl.
easily be done with the tuberculiI
the world would soon be rid a
disease. But as 1t is hardly po.
that they will all be destroyed III
way, we have to look to measur,
stined to increase the resistance 4.
individual as well. The exposun
the germ-laden material to fires.
and sunlight soon impairs its VII
to such a degree that 1t is much !,
easily resisted-in fact, 1t has
shown that two or three hours 4.
ure to direct sunlight renders 1t I
tically harmless.
The resistance of the individl
increased by the inhalation of al |,
dance of fresh air. In the living I
or sleeping room, there shout
enough circulation of air, that
breath of air that is exhaled shou
carried away from the individual4
trils before the succeeding ins
ton takes place, SO that there is
tie rebreathing OF air as possibly
cause 1t is well known that the 4
cannot stand oxygen and for"
further reason that the oxygen
stimulant to the lung tissue anpl
bles 1t to resist the onslay1bt q
chance germ which may nave 9
Judgment; as evidence Of this q
is almost always the parts Of the I
that are most difficult for air to n
that are first affected when TIL
ger sets in.
A considerable portion, at lea,(
the disease is caused by the gerue
ing taken with food and drink. .
principal source Of infection b!s'
route, is milk which has come Il.
dairy herd, some one or more of
are tuberculous. Flies and othed
min sometimes feed upon germ 1
sputum or other material and d
carry 1t to food which is left u.
tected. Food Is also infected by.
sputum drying and being blown !
with the dust. Heredity plays a \
small part, although 1t is recogt
that a person born Of a family in a
there is a strong hereditary tender
a little more likely to contract tn,
ease than others would be. A Pr
infected with tuberculosis should 2
spit in the open, but always into p
receptacle, in order that the 4
may be destroyed instead of bein 8
at large to infect some one else
simple measures like these, tubel
sis has in less than ten years LOO
place of distinction as Captain 4
Men of DEATH" destroying ont
enth of the human family. Prussi.
reduced her death rate from Il
cause, 40 per cent. in ten years, y
York so per cent. in fifteen
Boston 55 per cent. in twenty u
The reduction during the three X
that have elapsed since the last q
ing Of the Congress has been twl
rapid as any previous period "
same length of time.
The opinion was express1 b y
Lawrence F. Flick, director %
Phipps Institute in Philadelphia.
the crusade was continued witty
vigor which seems likely. tubercf
will be as well controlled in III
years as smallpox is now. n