Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-09-22

the tuberculosis mortality in Ireland,
the land of more rapid betterment OF
social conditions. The apparent and
undoubtedly true explanation was,
that in Scotland intelligent work was
| begun some time ago to prevent the
| diffusion of infection, while nothing
was doing in that line in Ireland, until
Lady Aberdeen began her noble and
enlightened work a few years ago.
! | said, thoushtfully, that nearly the
| whole measure of our success will de-
pend upon our limiting the facility,
| the chances of the extension of infec-
ton from infected human beings to
Others In fighting human tuherculo-
sis we should concentrate most of our
efforts right in that direction. 1t is
| trueS that the milk from tuberculosis
cows is not free from danger to chill
dren particularly, but my personal be-
lief which stands always ready for
correction, is that more than 80 per
cent of the cases of human tubercu-
| lOsis are due to infection from human
sources, and that still larger per-
| centage of cases of tuberculosis of the
| lungs, the most devastating form of
the disease, is of human origin.
In support Of this opinion is tho
| fact that cows milk is not used in
| Labrador but among the southern Es-
quimaux tuberculosis is rife, while
| in Pearys northern tribe not until re-
Gently associating with white man, l
understand tuberculosis is unknown.
The same absence of cows milk and
| the destructive prevalence of tubercu-
| .osis is observed in Japan and various
other countries.
| But the opinion of the preponderat-
| ing influence of infection from hui
| man sources was voiced by several
physicians at the Washington Interna-
tional Congress on tuberculosis.
| So let us not too precipitately accept
the dogma of Behring that human tu
| berculosis comes to US almost exclu-
sively from the milk of tuberculosis
cows taken during early childhood and
remaining latent until later in life.
Our state Board of Health began it's
active campaign against tuberculosis
earlier than this work was begun by
any other state board. For some years.
and as long as funds permitted, Circu-
lar No. 81 was widely distributed. But
we are now trying to put the tuber-
culosis circular and the bulletins of
the board into the hands of every fam
| lily in the State, and in this we need
your help.
But aside from circularizing the
State there is other work to- be done.
| Where the tuberculosis family is,
there is need of the hand of human
hcIpfulness. We. every one of us,
| 4, III ;,,1, 1,ttx, 10 hn
that that family really understands
how tuberculosis is spread and how
the diffusion of infection to the well
members of the family may be hedged
about. This protective teaching should
not fail,in any tuberculosis home, else
there will almost surely be other cases
| of tuberculosis. Here is work for 10
cal boards of health; for women, who
should be largely the leaders in better
ment work; and here, too, is a place
for the specially trained visiting nurse.
| But we shall fall short of the goal If
we depend wholly upon educative
work and moral suasion.
Suitable legislation is necessity as
a guide and cducative influence for
| us all But we must have some man.
datory and penalized sections for a
few moral detectives.
1 In 1902 Legislative bill was passed
requiring househoders and physicians
| to report to the local boards of health
cases of tuberculosis. There seemed a
bit of reason why physicians did not
like TO report their cases. But under
the provisions of the new tuberculosis
law, there appears to be no excuse
whatever for the lack of cordial com
pliance with its provisions, and 1 am
glad to report that the medical pro-
fcssion generally shows a disposition
to dc the part which this new law
calls upon them to do.
Briefly told, what must be done to
safeguard others?
1st. In the interest of the sick one,
as we'll as of his associates, provide
for him a light, airy room of good
size, if practicable, with absence OF
carpets and other useless furnishings
which catch and retain dust. The
room should be plainly furnished and
easily cleansed. Dry sweeping and
busting should be prohibited. Have
him sleep by himself
I'd Teach him to hold a paper nap
kin, or something else burnable, be-
fore his mouth when he coughs, and
require that he do this, because in
open-mouthed coughing and in loud
speaking and laughing with opeT
mouth, infection is sprayed into the
J air a short distance. one or two yards
at least: but the breath of the patient
is not infectious save during violent
expiration.
Sd. Have him spit into burnable spi
! cups or otherwise dispose of his sput
UNI sc that absolute destruction, pre-
ferably by fire, of the disease germ
may be assured.