The Greeley tribune., 1908-04-30
TWO PHYSICIANS DISCUSS
HUMAN TUBERCULOSIS
Say that the Disease Can Be Con-
trolled by Intelligent Care
Milk and Meat Supply
Said to Be at Fault

Interest is increasing in the public |
health lectures being given here this
spring under the auspices of the Com
mercial club Fully 800 persons
turned ont at the First Presbyterian
church last Friday evening to hear
Drs. George R. Pogue and B. X. Ellis
| talp upon the subject of Human Tu-
berculosis." Their respective papers
covered very nearly the same ground.
| According to statistics quoted by
DIR. POgne the great white pleague
claims one death out of every seven
over the escivilized world and about one
out of ton Of the native population In
this country Out of our eighty mil
lion population from ten to twelve
million will die from tuberculosis,
and most of them at an age when
they are Of the most value to society.
Every one OF these deaths, said the
doctor Is an unnecessary death. II
the people would only take the proper
precautionary measures. Measured
| from an economic point of view the
annual loss TO the country, according
to competent observers, is from $780,
0O0, 900 to 100000, 900.
From present knowledge of tuber-
culosis there are practically but two
sources of infection recognized, from
animals to human. and from one hu-
man being to another. Infection
through animal food and milk supply
is the only source from animals worth
considering, and by far the worst of
these two is the milk supply. Meat
II eaten raw would be dangerous
food - u -. hnt the excessive hest
incident 10 cooking will destroy the
germs, II these did exits In the meat,
although we might not care to eat
meat known to be diseased. The
milk supply therefore is the most
dangerous in this connection and it
is especially important that dairy
herds be kept clean of disease. Prac-
tically the only means of recognizing
tuberculosis in cattle, except in early
cases. is by the tuberculin test, and
this should only be used by compe-
tent inspectors.
Taking up the next point in the
subject, the matter of transmitting
the disease from one human being to
another, DR.. Pogue declared that prac-
tically the only source OF infection
from this cause was through the spu-
tum of tuberculor subject. If this
discharge was properly taken care OF
and destroyed, it would practically
| eliminate the source of transmission
from one person to another. 1t works
out in this way: A person afflicted
with the disease spits about in dark
corners or other out of the way plac-
es, where the sputum dries up and
then the germs are blown through
the air and inhaled by other persons.
If the physical condition of that per-
son happens to be right and the germs
particularly virulent, he will catch
the disease.
Now, sunlight is one of the great
est enemies to the tubercue bacillus.
The germ will stand only from ten
minutes to two hours of direct sun
light, while its life is prolonged in pro-
portion to the dininess of the sun
light. In extremely dark places 1t
may live for six months and still be
able to transplant itself in an animal
or human being,
In this connection DR.. Pogue quoted
from the leading authorities of the day
on this subject Germany's greatest
authority. Cornet, says: THE tuber-
/ cuous person is only a source OF dan
ger through his habits; if his sputum
be collected and destroyed he is no
longer u source of menace to his fami-
ly, his friends or the public at large
DR.. Herman NJ. Biggs. health officer
of the city of New York. says: "1t
all sputum of the tuberculous person
were destroyed at the time of exit,
practically the only danger of COM
munication of the disease from man
| to man would be destroyed
Prof. Victor C. Vaughan. of the
University of Michigan, in an ad-
dress at Detroit recently made the
statement: "The safest place IN
which not to get consumption is In
hospital where such tuberculous
patients had all their expectoratton
properly taken care Of and destroyed.