Sharp County record., 1912-11-15

with tuberculosis. Meat lnSpeY@e7
is now compulsory in all pat g
plants, and local butchers shoul e
made to comply with the 8 r.
regulations. NJ
We must now consider the 'lSe-
disposing factors to the spreaf Of
tuberculosis. First we will tfNn-
ton overcrowding in the horns nd
school with improper vent->a tjn
and illumination Remember that
sunlight in sufficient quantity and
of prolonged duration will destroy
the vitality of any germ. Espec-
tally is overcrowdine the room in
visiting the sick" Of consumption a
pernicious and dangerous practice.
But what we mean ordinarily when
we say overcrowding is that too
many people live and sleep in the
same rooms without sufficient fresh
air.
The second predisposing factor is
insufficient food, which may be the
result of not enough pay for ones
work or excessive expense for al
cohol or other of the poisons or
luxuries of life.
Third, alcohol in itself lowers the
resisting power Of its habitual user,
thereby rendering him unable to
throw off the attacks of any dis
ease germ.
Fourth, intermarrying of con-
sumptives should be sanely dis
couraged, for the offspring of in
valid parents are frequently not
capable of resisting the fatal in
| fluences of our more common dis
eases of childhood-and should they
live in a home where the insanitary
consumptive dwells there Is hardly
a way for him to escape infection.
The insanitary consumptive Is he
who knows not or cares not about
the ways he infects others.
Fifth, poverty and ignorance. In
deed these are the only two predis-
posing causes to any infectious dis
ease and under them come all the
aforementioned factors. A great
many poor people are not paid
enough for their work to provide a
healthful home and diet. A great
many others spend high percent
age of their earnings injudiciously;
for alcohol, dressing beyond their
means and other follies. Last, but
not least, there is a great army OF
consumers who never produce any
thing, thus making 1t doubly hard
on the members of their families
who do work
So much for causes Of the spread
of this disease, mentioned only in
cursory way, as this subject to be
handled in detail would require a
book.
Some one has remarked with a
great degree of truth that the con-
sumptive himself is the only agency
necessary to stop the spread OF
consumption. Indeed this Is liter
orally true. When he stops splitting
except in a legitimate way--in the
splitting cup or in the fire--uses his
individual drinking and eating par
aphernalia, stops giving others, es-
pecially children, a bite Of the food
on which he is eating, ceases to
kiss or be kissed, uses only his own
toilet articles, towels, bed clothing,
etc, then, and not till then, will he
cease to be a menace to his family
and friends, to say nothing of the
public. OF course it goes without
saying that all excretions from the
consumptive's body should be des-
troyed by fire and everything he
uses should be sterilized by boiling
before being used by any one else.
Any house that has been occupied
by an insanitary consumptive
should by all means be rendered
aseptic by proper washing Of walls
and fumieation before being occu-
pied by another person.
AT first thought II would seem to
be easier and quicker perhaps to
educate those afflicted with con-
sumption in methods Of limiting
the spread of their disease by send.
Ing them to properly conducted
sanatoria that should be financed
by the state or philanthropic con-
tributions, At least 1t seems that
we could expedite matters that
way, and then by having course
on hygiene and prevention of dis
ease taught in our schools, and re-
fusine to issue marriage License to
those ignorant of reasonable means