The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-11-02

Io0O0C OAPCCCOA dIAA6 UdC11luS-ldu6A
sputum, is a positive source of con-
lagoon to others. If he has the dis
ease he should know it at the first
possible moment, SO that he an at
once inaugurate an exercise of the
few simple precautions which are nee
essary for the protection of others. If
all cases in existance today w~ouldSex-
ercise the few known simple precau-
tons there would OOH be, no more
tuberculosis.
The tuberculosis subject is too often
the bread-winner, and if he is late in
getting the information as to the real
nature of his disease, his treatment
will of necessity cut him off from his
labor with cessation of his income.
That usually means great economy on
the part of the other members of his
family, with a denial of the proper
amount and kind of food, a consequent
improverishment of their bodies and
a greater susceptibility to the disease.
Surrounded, as they so often are by
a source Of the infection, the home and
environment become such that the
weakened members of the family r
alomst certain to contract the disease.
But, if that wage Garner had known
early that his disease was tuberculosis
and had sought competent medical adj
vice, a few weeks from his labor would
have brought him back to a condition
where he could again take up his
work, renew his income and drive
poverty and its fearful consequences
from his home. It is in the early stage
ci the disease that the danger of in
fecting the home is least; while in the
advanced stage infection is more apt
to follow.
What are the symptoms and signs
Of beginning tuberculosis? First there
is lassitude, or lack of energy. Gradu-
ally the appetite begins to fail until
later food becomes almost repulsive.
With this comes gradual loss of
strength and flesh, and soon a mild
grade of anaemia will be noticed.
Later there usually follows slight di-
gestfye disturbances with imperfect
elimination by the several different
channels. In a little while there is
the slight tickling sensation in the
throat" which at first is SC slight as
not to elicit much notice on the part
of the sufferer; but slowly he acquires
the habit of frequently clearing the
throat" At this time there is no
sputum, no hard cough, nc sweats no
h~emorrhages, NO fever nor hectic
flush. The disease is still too incip-
lent to. have created these symptoms
and signs. But after while there
come what is generally called a bad
cold" which remains persistent and
refuses>to yield1tc anti-cold treatment.
Then the cough becomes marked with |
a thin whitish sputum raised, chiefly
in the morning hours. The cough per-
sists, the expectoration increases and
gradually changes in character to a
thick tenacious sputum. Later the
sputum becomes ~yellowish due to- the
fact that there is a little pus to be
found In it, and it is then that the
disease is passing from the early
stage, into the more advanced.
We will now begin to find the germ
in the sputum, and sad to sayl until
then the vast majority of physicians
dc not make a proper diagnosis. Now,
or later. we will have the sweats, pos
sibly chills; and if the disease is at
lacking the outer portion of the lung,,l
we are apt to et>pleurisy. Soon we
may begin to have haemorrhages, but
in some cases we never have them.
The fever has sometime since, made
its appearance. and with it has come
the quickened- pulse. The tempera
ture in the early morning hours is
usually low, as a rule lower than the
normal, with it slowly rising toward
the middle of the day when it goes
above normal te varying degrees, de- /
pending on the amount of ~involvment,
the virulence of the infection and the
resisting power of the individual.
There usually come periods OF
quiescence of the disease. The fever
disappears the heart slows down. the
expectoration becomes less or disap-
pears, the cough grows less, and the
afflicted person fcTgets all about it.
Then comes another "cold," more Sc
we're and persistent than the first one.
The patient goes through the same
course as before, only to a mere mark
ed degree. And SO it goes from week
to week with periods of activity and
quiescence with the disease slowly
sapping the body CT its vitality, and in
a little while a neighbor will say "Mr.
Jones is sick and I am afraid he has
consumption" Then for the first time
as a rule, Mr.. Jones seeks the advice
of the physician. He is now in the adj
vanced stage of the disease.
And why? Because he has been al
lowing his druggist to prescribe for
his cold" or has been taking the adj
vice of some one or more of his neigh
bors as to what is the best cure for a
cold, which did not happen to be a
cold. And, in the meanwhile poor Mr..
Jones has been Unfortunately ex-
pectofating bacillus-1aden sputum
everywhere he went planting sources
of infection so that his neighbors and
fellow men a contract his disease.
Had he, when he had his first hard
cold" sought the advice OF a COM
petant physician, one that takes pains
IN looking carefully into the patients
history and makes a careful and
searching examination his disease
would have been discovered early,
and he would have been restored to
health by the time he finally did go to
the physician. And he would not have