The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-12-28

dence. alter a time the mother be-
came phthisica1 (meaning consump-
tiye) and two children died or menln-
gifts. curing the whole period during
which these observations range the
flat was never empty and was never
painted or cleaned. In other parts OF
the same building, which were prope'
Nv cleaned, no case of tuberculosis oc-
CURED
EngeImann's observation shows that
in one portion of house, where dur
ing a period of eight years, no less
than twelve people contracted tuDer-
cuIosis, due to occupying rooms Wnlcn
had been occupied by consumpcfVe,
the evidence being that the ar1g1nal
consumptive was a careless one, ana
that the rooms were never cleaned;
vet. during all of those years In
THE SAME HOUSE, not next door to
it. or even farther re moved others
failed to contract the disease. This Is
positive proof that the area OF 1nfec-
ton about the room aof the careless
consumptive in indeed very narrow.
Pottenger, another high authority,
writes: eft is probably that nearly all
cases OF tuberculosis, resulting from
dust Infection, have been contracted
from within the house. Ordinarily Ior
infection to take place, there must
first be a careless patient to scatter
the bacilli, and there must be an as
sociation with him in quarters under
conditions which favor the presei'va-
ton Of the life OF the bac1ll1, Or
dwelling in such quarters after the
departure of the patient" This opin-
ion seems to have been written spec
tally to sustain my position When
hold that you must associate with the
consumptive in his own quarters, or
he with you in yours, ii you are TO
contract the disease from him. Pot
tenger also writes: experiments
show that the floor is the part OF the
room which is the seat of greatest in
lection, and that nearly all Infection
in rooms is confined within two and
one half feet of the floor" This Is GER
tainly not wide area OF injection
could give many more citations from
medical literature which go to rroYe
we have little or nothing to fear from
communication fro mhouse to house
by aerial transmission.
I would have no one think I do not
favor controlling tuberculosis as much
as possible; and should it become ne
cessary, control the consumptive HIM
self 1 believe all cases of tubercr-
losis should be reporte! to the hcaltE
officer, so that he can see that they
are properly instructed and can ttnl-
gate the rooms when the sufferer has
moved, so as to protect others Wht'
may occupy them later. l also believe
the health officer shoI'd hold the in
formation confindential, using 1t only
for the purpose of instructions ana
fumigation, not to advertise the sun-
erer's unfortunate condition and sub
jecting him to the humiliation which
the public is so prone to infiict upon
him.
To control tuberculosis and the per-
son who is suffering from it we must
first find him. Then we can fumigate
the quarters W hich he has vacated,
which alone will make them safe to
others who later occupy them. Al
ready there is too much tendency on
the part of many consumptives to con-
ceaI the fact that they have the dis
ease, and we should do nothing, not
even little things, which are unneces-
sary, which will tend to increase the
tendency to secrecy on the part OF the
| sufferers.
do not believe in placarding the
home 1t will not assist in killing the
| germs that may be in the quarters
of the consumptive Since we must
kill the germs and since fumigation is
our only sure way of doing it; and
since we must find the consumptive's
quarters first before we can fumigate;
and since placarding will certainly
make the consumptive more secretiye
then I not only do not believe it prom
er to placard, but do believe it will
be further means of spreading the dis
ease.
A final quotation from Pottenger in
this regard may be interesting
Health Board control in tuberculosis
! is not for the purpose Of placarding
house or establishing quarantine, as
is diphtheria and scarlet sever. Such
measures are not at all necessary; it
is simply for the purpose OF knowing
where all cases are located, that they
be instructed, and of knowing when
the premises are vacated, that they
may be cleaned and disinfected."
I thank 1.-THE Hustler" for the space
given to this article, as we'll as for
it's willingness to give space to all
health articles.