Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-28
TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS.

/ LII bedlly DtIOiC hht
municipal League that every tuoercu-
| lous person should be under the sur
veillance of the law. In reference TO The
| disposal of sputum, seems TO some per-
sons an unnecessary extension OF ny
gienic regulation. Yet 1t is a neces-
| OF science.
a recent authority states that the
"sputum (spiD of the tuberculous per
son is infectious. as 1t Is filled WITH
the germs of tuberculosis tubercie
baclilD and so becomes dangerous when
carelessly expectorated. 1t viii be seon
that your sputum must be eXpectoratcl
into some receptacle where ii can be
destroyed. The Sputum should be burn
ed In the fire or eNpectorated into u
cuspldor in which an antiseptic solu-
ton will act as a gcrmicide. \ paper
device for this purpose, to be burned
Immediately on use. can be easily ar
ranged. Rags OF cloths should not be
used. This is vitally important under
any conditions, but especially 50 should
there be any children in the house. 1t
Is plain that If you are taking home
treatment the utmost care must be cx-
ercised by you TO prevent injecting the
other members OF the household. Your
sputum must not be swallowed, but
should be cxpectorated. Other parts
of your body may be infected by the
germs being carried through the stom-
ach and intestines."
Bare mention of these facts should
put people on their guard. There is
no drug known to the medical profess
sion today that will cure tuberculosis;
physicians say that few drugs are
called for. and that when medication is
required, only a physician can intelli-
gently or safely prescribe it.
Intoxlcants greatly accelerate the
progress of the disease. Too much eN-
ercise Is dangerous. And we are gratl-
fed to learn, upon the authority of DR.
Kepford that the time has passed
when it was felt absolutely necessary
to go to Colorado or New Mexico TO
check OF cure tuberculosis. Just as
good results can be obtained at home.
But how? The state of Iowa Is pro-
ceeding to answer this question.
The last session of the Iowa legisla-
ture passed bill by which 1t is obl!ga-
tory on the county board of supervis-
-ors, on petition OF 200 resident free
holders, to call an election on the ques-
ton of whether special tax (not to
exceed two mills on the dollar for
period not to exceed twenty years.
shall be imposed to build a county hos
pital one department of which shall
be given over exclusively to the treat
ment of consumptivcs. In this hospital
treatment shall be given any resident
OF the county, regardless of his pow
erty. the county footing the bill IL the
patient is unable to pay it himself.
Already a half dozen counties are pre-
pairing to put this county hospital ques-
tion to the voters in the spring.
Farmers are especially affected with
this disease. This class brings more
patients to the Iowa State Sanitorium
for the treatment of tuberculosis than
any other classification of workers,
with the single exception of house
keepers. or forty-nine men admitted
to the state sanitorium during the first
five months OF its existence seventeen
(35 per cent of the totaD were farmers.
No other single profession or calling
In which men engage supplied more
than four patients out OF the total of
forty-nine.
Such facts explode old theories. Onr
own state. advertised as a natural
sanitarium for consumptives. has too
many of these patients already and
many of the native population become
infected from their presence and caro-
lessness.
The next legislature of Utah should
follow the lines indicated by medical
and sanitary experts and provide COM
prchensive measures for dealing with
this condition.