The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-03-25
Surgeon-G General Blue on the
Spreaders of Tuberculosis
WORK BROTHERS. KEEPER
Employers Who Overwork Men
and Women, the Landlord,
Cnsanitary Rooms, Etc.

(By H.. r.. {. BRYANT.)
Washington. D. c.. March ee-nr.
Rupert Blue. surgeon general Of the
that Or. friedman or anybody else
can make much Roadway against tu-
~berculosis until every man would bo
his brothers keeper.
The landlord who provides i~nscani-
tary rooms for his tenants spreads tn
b~erculosis.
The manufacturer who underpays
and over-works his employees
the soil for the growth OF the great
white plague.
The men who make the laws of the
land help to increase the spread Of
the disease by ignorance OF the dan
gers in unhealthy trades.
To The News and Observer corre-
spondent Mr.. Blue said:
T paraphrase and translate an
old German phrase. the story Of tn
~berculOsis is the story OF the miserieS
of mankind.
THE universally OF this disease
which attacks every race of mankind
and every station OF society makes it
the constant companion OF our daily
life. and the constant dread OF every
n who considers his physical eff
ficiency. 1t is caused by a minute and
ubiquitous vegetable parasite. and IT
has been stated that almost every
one has the disease by the time he has
reached the 18th year.
"Since 1882, when the immortal
Robert Koch discovered this parasite.
our knowledge OF this scOurge has in
creased by leaps and bounds. and IL
is now known that not only Is no per
son in the world exempt from it, but
also that every tissue in the human
body is liable to suffer from its ray
ages.
within the past few years the
methods of diagnosis Of this ailment
have progressed over the cruder
methods of waiting until tt bacil-
lus could be discovered in the human
discharges. Now by the application
Of tuberculosis can be arrived at. II
a drop of tuberculin is rubbed int
the abraded skin o. a very young
child no reaction follows" says Passed
Assistant Surgeon r. G.. Smith OF the
United States public health service
IF the drop of tuberculin be rubbed
into the skin of a person who IS or
has been infected with tuberculosis A
reaction follows in a few hours, mani
Tested by a small area of redness
which disappears after a few days
and is unattained by any harmful ef-
fects.
about 90 per cent Of white chill
dren between the ages of IL and u
d0O pFdct1cdlly ali dUUilS VIII SINr
positive reactions.
'It is thus seen that ever IL the
men of science who are devoting their
lives to the search for a cure for tn
berculosis could discover an agency
or & method by which the disease
should positively be cured that the
) tuberculosis problem in its broades
sense would still be unaffected.
$50 long as man lives in houses
: under inSanitary conditions tubercu-
iosis, like the poor. will be always
with US. The problem. however, il
!, not SO hopeless as it may seem at first
glance, the eradication Of tuberculosis
from the face of the globe will come
when we have learned we'll the lesson
that we are our brothers keeper.
: "If we as a race can appreciate tn
: the fullest extent that the landlord
!, who provides ~insanitary rooms for
his tenants is spreading tuberculosis
E that the manufacturer who over
works and under-pay his EN-
ployes is preparing the soil for the
growth Of the great white plague,
if our legislators will but understand
. that the dangerous and unhealthy
: trades are bringing upon us the awful
: burden Of suffering n misery. ther
we can loo for results. b sun
a light and the pure air belong to al
mankind. and il we would be on,
brothers keeper in the sense
( we would not deprive them OF thei'
. who would prevent tuberculosis must
4 be his brother's keeper