Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-08-25

no respector of rank OF wealth. Cough
ed. sneezed. spat and breathed into the
air IN inconceivable billions and myriads
Of billions, and swept by the winds IN
to every home In the land. or intro
duced into the bodies Of men and WON
en- by more subtle ways and contacts.
the disease germ has at It's mercy
every one OF US who is not naturally
immune to its activities. Public sani-
tation, however strict. can do nothing
to prevent the spread Of tuberculosis
OF pneumonia. diphtheria or scarlet
fever, Influenza OF tetanus. to say moth
ing of numerous other fell malignan-
cies the causes of which are at present
unknown.
An attempt to stamp out or even to
reduce the ravages OF the great
white plague" by public sanitation are
as hopeIessly feeble. and quite as vain.
as the loud beating Of tom-toms by a
horde Of African savages to brighten
away an eclipse Of the sun. Our con-
crosses for the prevention Of tubercu-
losis are about as helpful as would be
q congress called for the purpose OF
securing good weather for crops.
Time, money and much talk would be
saved by not holding them at all. No
body knows the truth of this assertion
better than the men who are doing the
really scientific work in this line-the
a1fstocrats Of laboratory research OF
the delegates to q tuberculosis con-
sress very few know anything worthy
Of mention about the scientific part Of
the subject. and these competent few
have only g languid interest In popular
anti-spit crusades. fresh air cures and
other helpless devices Of that kind.
They are deeply interested. however.
In the experimental work going for
ward IN certain laboratories of Eu-
rope
II IL amusing to see the health de-
partments Of our large cities urging
the citizen not to spit on the sidewalk.
when that same citizen land perhaps
the health officer himself) coughs.
meezes. snorts and talks germs by the
billion right into the circumambient
air or into the faces of his sellow citi.
zens- And this sarue citizen straight,
way expectorates ad libitum IN the
roadway. there to niingle his particular
germs with tetanus and other organ
isms that foregather by the myriad In
the dirt-dirt In which the bacteriolo
gist can ind -most any old germ" be
has a mind for.
These methods of prevention are fu
tile on their face. Why refrain from
splitting on the sidewalk. OF anywhere
else. when we carry into our homes II
the dirt on the soles of our boot
enough bacteria to people a newly ere
ated planet7 II reminds one of tn,
soldiers who. when ordered to storm
fortifcation. were afraid that the bul
iets Of the garrison would hit their I'm
gers a. they were climbing over tn
wallis Even the physician who get
only slight glimpse while at schoo
Of that incomprehensible thing, tn
animal body. should know that til
most powerful disinfection Is at bes
but makeshift
Thus far In the history OF the huma
f9c1 mature tt1eU mas Deen the Des
immunizer Of men to disease. A ma
Is naturally immune to disease whe
his body naturally manufactures a sui
stance the presence OF which In tn
body neutralizes the poisons produce
by the multiplication Of bacteria in tn
body.
For ages In the past man has bee
surrounding disease after diseas,
climbing up the mountain on the sun
NIT OF which Theoretically he sha
be immune 10 fatal disease of ever
kind. Countless billions OF huma
lives have been the price paid for TIL
progress; countless billions. who. ne
naturally immune to these disease
have been swept away before the ae
at which they could reproduce the
susceptibilities In their children. On
those who were naturally immune ha,
survived. and these have passed dow
their immunity to their offspring.