Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-08
Prevention and Cure of Tuberculosis

To the Editor of The Star:
The warning in your editorial in We'd
nesday's issue that II is too early for
growing jubilant over promised remedy
which is to prevent tuberculosis is well
sounded. Let people bear in mind that
the tubercle bacillus will only thrive and
multiply when the natural resistance of
the body is undermined when the first
principles OF hygiene and proper living are
neglected. and when we habitually deprive
our lungs OF pure air, our system of plain
food, and our muscles of plenty of exer-
else.
Surprising it should even be possible to
destroy and completely exterminate from
the face of the earth the bacillus of con-
sumption does anybody believe that we
might then with impunity disregard the
rules of hygiene and proper living? Would
not person whose resistance to sickness
was for any cause undermined contrac ct
some other disease. and one maybe less
benign than consumption? 1t is true that
for instance, smallpox formerly decimate ted
the human race and that now it Is pre-
vented by vaccination. But diseases of
a generous character have increased ever
since. and an antivaccinatiOn society in
Great Britain has for wears maintained
that vaccination merely shifted the human
race from one plague to several others
more troacherous than smallpox. They
say that IF cows had not been grossly
maireated by filth and neglect and de
veloped vicious sores on their udders COW
pox and smallpox would have never APP
peared. and that with continued and
proper sanitary caring Of COWS vaccina-
ton should become. entirely unnecessary.
Just so with tuberculosis and some other
diseases. When nature is habtually out :
ragged 1t Will revenge itself, and it is ilIogi-
Peal to assume that we can finally cheat
it by serums and antitoXins., The rovaI
road to good health emanates from
healthy well mated parents, from the
simple life of activity, of fresh air, of
house dust. and In avoiding the drinking
of raw milk unless We are perfectly sure
that 1t was obtained and kept under the
best sanitary conditions.
Certainly the more we can find out all
about those microscopic scavengers. the
bacili and the cocci, the better for our
light of knowledge. Even If DR. Rosen-
bergh's discovery should not realize the
expectations some may place in it the
education which discussions on tubercu-
losis bring about Will help to clarity the
peoples understanding and eventually
prove to them that disease is mostly the
fine we pay for living improper lives and
neglecting the laws of health" Not only
can consumption be prevented by plain
hygienfc rules. but these same rules will
prevent many other diseases If given
ordinary chance and consideration The
science of antitoXins is boon and a
blessing when disease is due to accident
like in the case of rabies, although II NAV
some day be shown that this disease in
dogs is due to unnatural conditions i'm
posed on them by humanity But when
! sickness is due to long-continued neglect
an anttSerum is of questionable value
either scientifically or logically. Viewed
from this standpoint. it is almost to be
hoped that DR.. Rosenbergh's discovery
prove as fallacious as did Dr. Koch's
tuberculin cure eighteen years ago
E. BERLINER