The Marshall republican., 1910-04-22

savage races in their primitive,
wandering, outdoor life, it is found
in all countries and peoples.
1t causes in the United States
alone some 100000 deaths every
year; in Missouri, about 5000; in
st. Louis over 1900. About m in
seven of all deaths, and one in
every three of those who die b.-
tween IS and As years are due to
tuberculosis, yet tuberculosis is
only one out OF hundreds OF caus-
es of death. In spite OF all this,
however, tuberculosis is now found
to be both preventable and cur
able since we have discovered
how it is caused and maintained.
tuberculosis is a disease or de-
rangement of the body caused by
the growth within it of a special
germ, the Tubercle Bacillus. This
is a living vegetable organism SO
minute that it would require about
10000 placed end to end to meas
ure an inch. A consumptive in
late stage may throw out in his
sputum millions of such germs in
a single day. In the course of its
life, growth and reproduction in
the body, this germ produces roX-
ms (or poisons) which poison the
system, breaking down the tissues
and causing the symptoms by
which we recognize it's presence.
The Lungs are it's commonest seat,
but it may occur in any part of
the system, especially the bones
and joints.
The causes are prediposing, and
immediate, or exciting, just as to
cause an explosion you must first
have an explosive substance-some
thing liable to ego off" and then
must bring into contact with it an
exciting cause.-The, conclusion, or
what not-which is able to set it
off. Without the concurrence OF
these you cannot have an explos-
ion, o can you have an outbreak
of tuberculosis without a predis-
posing cause, a proneness or liza
bility, and an exciting cause. The
predisposing cause is anything that
weakens the body that it is liable
to be upset o. the application OF
the exciting cause. The body may
be weak inherently, j.. e., the child
may be born weak, (but it must be
clearly understood that the disease
itself is not hereditary, as was
formerly supposed. 1t sometimes
"runs in families" because the
members, by constant association
with one another, are exposed cor
tinuously to attack by the exciting
cause.-the germ. If a child borr
into such a family could be remov.
ed at birth to surroundings entire
ly free, it would not develop thu
; disease.) Or it may become weak
ened as a consequence of previouI
diseases, grippe, pleurisy, typhoic
pneumonia, the infectious diseases
etc. Abuse of alcoholic beverage
= or tobacco, insufficient or unwhol
some food, exposure to impure all
= or darkness, in overcrowded, il
e ventilated rooms, or to inhalation
t of dust in certain occupations.
= The exciting cause is i~nfectio.
+ with the Tuberculosis Germ in
t predisposed constitution. .Infec
e ton may take place by inhalation
n especially of the dried germs fror
It the sputum of consumptives VIII
t spit about carelessly, or by, drople
+ infection when consumptives tall
g cough or sneeze in close proximit
+ to others. Ingestion, by swallow
y ing the germs with food, milk, in
!" fected in production or handlin
# OF by flies or by putting into tn
mouth things such as toys, eatin
or drinking utensils, etc, that hay
been used by consumptives. Inc