Sharp County record., 1912-11-15

Fly dl d TtCtHl puDllC llleelluS Ill
Evening Shade:
tuberculosis is the most fatal of
our common diseases. Each year
100000 people die from the effects
of this disease in the United States
alone
In literature tuberculosis is re-
ferred to as the great white
plague" in ordinary conversation
among laymen it is known as CON
sumption" and such expressions; as
consumption of the bones, bowels,
lungs, ETC., are in daily use.
The GERM or eating agent so to
speak, of tuberculosis is minute
organism, only visible when magni-
fled with the strongest microscopic
lenses and colored with certain
stains causing its outlines to be
made apparent. This germ is call
ed the bacillus tuberculosis and is
really the disease itself, causing the
symptoms which 90 to make a
complete picture of the sufferer.
Our ancestors believed and taught
that consumption is a hereditary
disease, handed down from father
to son like an estate. Modern OBJ
servers, however, believe that con-
sumption is a communicable dis
ease without regard to heredity; in
fact, an infectious disease, and cite
experiments and observations and
formulate arguments that cannot
be refuted. Therefore, the logical
thing to do is to limit now and fin
ally stop entirely the spread of this
bacillus Or germ if we would eradi"
cate this disease, which annually
takes 100000 of our people from U.s.
In ordinary conversation a case
of consumption" means a person
whose lungs are infested and being
7 destroyed by these Baciili. The pa
/ tient has cough and expectorates
or spits more or less freely, and ev'
cry time he spits germs of this dis
ease are ejected-sometimes in the
cuspidor or spittoon, but most usu'
ally on the floor of the private OF
public house, or conveyance, or the
sidewalk. If he spit on the floor in
summer, or the cuspidor either fol
that matter, the common househy
delights in feeding and crawling
through this sputum, and can and
does carry countless numbers OF
bacilli or germs on his feet to food
that may be unprotected against
his visits. Especially does the fly
delight in taking a full-length bath
or dip" in the milk pitcher, and
some good housewives are econom-
ical enough to strain it over" and
serve Just the same milk plus the
disease and filth to herself and
family,
Many sanitariums are beginning
to believe that more cases OF con-
sumption are being spread by the
fly than are being contracted by
breathing into our lungs the dried
Germs such as we inhale with the
dust in the schoolroom, or church,
or street. or railroad car, We will
consider, however, that the inhala-
ton method Is responsible for a
great percentage of this disease
It is not extraordinary for doctors
to visit cases of consumption that
have expectorated such quantities
of mucus and tissue containing
Germs, the decomposition OF which
! Is so Objectionable to the olfactory
sense as to make it almost impossi-
BILE to remain in the sickroom for
even limited length OF time OF
course we know when we get an
odor of purifying flesh we are
BREATHING tiny particles of this flesh
and disease into our lungs, other
wise there would be no odor Ger
tainly there Is no excuse for such
downright filth as splitting on floor
and walls TO this extent. Thinking