The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-03-29
THE DIFFERENCE SET OUT
Between the ''|ufectious" and
'Contag'cus' Consumption
Or. ". :. Rankin. Secretary Of the
state Board OF Health. Discusses
the Two Words and Points ONT ,hc
DiHerence in Their Implication.

~
There has haen some omment in
the State concerning the use of the
words infectious and co~ntagiou
among the Ialty and the medical pro-
leSSlon following the address Of DIR. /.
". i'aison. Of Charlotte, at the Tu-
b~ercuiosis Congress in Greensboro. 4
nHmbcr OF Inquiries IN the matter have
reached The News and Observer. and
II ebtalned an interview With DIR. w.
,. Rankin. secretary Of the state
Board of Health, who. being asked to
explain h difference between "infec-
tIous and contagious" and The rela-
ton of these terms. said:
The terms infectious and contasi-
Gus have not Yet come to have fixed
meanings. Different authors use them
with a considerable degree Of varia-
ton. For example, many authorities
would define an infectious disease to
De a disease caused by germs Of d
vegetable nature, excluding, III this
definition, a mi Of diseases caus-
ed by germs Of an animal nature.
However. the generally accepted
meaning Of the term Infection is a dis
case due to either vegetable or animal
nature. No matter how the minute
animal or vegetable lnvades, travel to,
and enter into, body-itSelf q cita-
del OF animal cells-We speak Of it as
an init ton.
Il. however. the CdTSatIHt germ :
able to reach and invade our bodies
through mere contact, we spear of
the disease as contagious. II pro-
loDScd. contact, or an inter
mediate agent, such as the mosquito
III malaria and yellow fever. me
flea in plague be necessary for inNa-
sion of the body by the 0isease-produc-
ing germ, we speak Of the disease as
infectious, but not contagious, there
fore. is Il difference OF degree only.
All contagious diseases are infectious,
but not all infectious diseases are con-
t2gious. Witness: \ we'll person may
sleep in the same bed and eat food
from the same dishes, with a yellow
fever patient and never contract the
disease. provided the patient is cover
ed with Il MOSQUITO bar so that a mos
quito cannot such the blood from the
sick. and then inject it into the Well.
This has been done owe and over
again.
Nov, tuberculosis of the lungs. gen.
orally called consumption, Is lnfec-
tious, but not contagious. The rarity
Of this disease in those who are IN
constant attendance upon the sick III
tuberculosis Sanltorla IS the best eNl-
dence of the fact that consumption is
not contagious in the sense in which
we understand smallpox measles,
scarlet fever. and ether diseases 10
be CONTAGIOUS. All authorities agree
that the clean conSumptIVe IS not dan
eerOuS. 1t is the Nho IA
eist in expectorating on the heafli'
1 floor. street. anywhere, instead OF INTO
an Inexpensive pasteboard box that a
be burned who Will not hold q cheap
cloth or paper handkerchief III 'front.'
Of his nose and Q when he sneez-
es and coughs, throwing out the dead
ly spray. that SOws the seed iof the
grim harvester. No spit, no consump--
ton is. the simple truth. that enforced
some day. Will save each year l3V,-
900 Of Uncle Sans tax payers.
1t is very important for the pup
lie to learn to discriminate between
the harmful and the con-
sumDtiye. Not to do so means more
infection from the careless splitter on
the one hand, and cruel. lnhuman
treatment of the clean, conslderate
harmless ~consumptiVe on the other
hand To be afraid Of the latter class
of consumptiVes, to refuse them lodg-
ing. to discriminate against them SO
cially. to refuse them employment, IS
the graves injustice. The cruelty OF
snch treatment of the helpless ana
harmless is objectionable, ana but
slightly palliated by the ignorance OF
those who do it.