Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-12
TUBERCULOSIS

Il Sternberg, surgeon general, u. S.
A. (retired), contributed paper on
the prevention of tuberculosis" This
article ought to be read and under
stood by every boy and girl IN the
country, and some of the important
facts are reprinted here.
Every one knows, or ought to KNOW
that tuberculosis of the lungs is an in
fcctious disease, due to the introduce
ton and growth in the body OF a sus-
ceptible individual, of the tubercle-
bacillus. Pulmonary tuberculosis, II
unchecked in it's incipient stage, results
in destruction of lung tissue and
wasting away of the body generally.
This characteristic feature of the dis
ease has led to it's being known, from
ancient times, as consumption.
Prom time immemorial this has been
recognized as one of the greatest
scourges of the human race, and at
the present day it continues to be the
principal cause of death in all parts
of the civilized world. In the United
States its victims number about one
hundred and fifty thousand annually.
Since the discovery of the tuberele-
bacillus by the famous German phy-
sician, DIR. Robert Koch, in 1882, 1t has
been demonstrated that the presence
of this bacillus is essential for the de-
yelopment of pulmonary tuberculosis,
or of tuberculosis in any part of the
body; and that this bacillus is lnVa-
riably introduced into the body from
some exterior sourCe-usually directly
into the lungs during the process OF
respiration, or into the stomach WIN
food from an infected source. It may
also he communicated from the sick to
the well by kissing, or through the
medium of articles soiled by the in
fectious material coughed up from the
lungs.
1.-THE tubercle- bacillus may retain its
vitality for long time, and where
Que care has not been taken to destroy
the matter coughed up by person sur
fering from consumption, this Is ha-
lie to become desiccated, a1d, in the
form of dust, to contaminate the air
of the house. without doubt large
proportion of the cases of tubercuio-
sis are contracted by Ine lHlEouuStioAi'
by respiration or with food, OF tubercle.
bacilli coughed up from the lungs OK
a previous case.
Here are some of the principal
points which should be kept In vie"
by those who, through personal inter-
est or a humanitarian spirit, are dis
posed to join in the effort to limit and.
we hope finally to eradicate this tataI
infectious malady:
"The people, generally, must be edu-
Gated with reference to the cause OF
the disease, and the methods OF pre-
Yention.
"The fact should be clearly reeog-
nized that there is no danger that pa
tients suffering from any form of tu-
bArculosis will communicate the dis
ease to other people if all infectious
material is promptly destroyed, that is
all expeetorated matter and all dis
charges from tuberculous joints, scro-
fulous glands, and so forth.
"The cheapest, most convenient ana
most trustworthy method or dlslntec-
ton is by burning.
'"The milk and flesh of tubereuloslS
animals should not be used as food
SANITARY homes, plenty of nutr1-
tiors food, an outdoor life and regular
habits will enable most individuals to
resist infection, and are the most i'm
portant factors in effecting a cure
when infection has already occurred.