The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07
TOPIC OF SEVENTH ' HEALTH BULLETIN |S TUBERCULOSIS City Health Officer Says It Is Most Widely K Spread Disease TELLS HOW HUMANS
 CONTRACT MALADY |ln Bulletin No. Next Sunday He Will Discuss Principle of Treatment of the Disease

Health Bulletin No. F. issued yesterday N by Dr. R. M. Cunningham, city health N officer. Is as follows:
 Tuberculosis is the most generally dis tributed and widely spread infection geographically, zoologically and anatomlc- ally, that Is known to man. It is sani- tary, hygienic, industrial, economic ana sociological problem. Humanitarians, teachers, statesmen, capitalists working men, etc., are all interested. and their aid must be invoked and full and har- monious cooperation employed if the dis ease is ultimately eradicated
 It causes about one-third of the morbid ity of mankind expressed in suffering. disa bility and days, and from to F per cent of all deaths In the United States 1t is estimated that 1e0, 900 persons die an nually of this disease and that of the 90, ,0OO,0O0 people now living in the United States, S00O,O0O are destined to die with this disease In addition to these, and as a result thereof, hundreds of millions of dollars are lost annually in industrial production, and millions added to the burden of society
 Tuberculosis Is not essentially fatal disease, and moreover it is a preventable disease. It cannot be eradicated in gen. eration, but 1t can be in a few genera tions Wherever systematic and co-op- erative methods have been employed, there has been a corresponding reduction in both the mortality and morbidity. The cause of tuberculosis may be aptly divided into the essential and contributing.
 The Essential Cause
 The essential and only cause of tuber- culosis is the tubercle bacillus, discovered by Robert Koch in 1882 This is n small rod-shaped germ, straight or slightly curved. It Is, of course, microscopic in E size. There are four kinds of this bacil- lus-human, bovine (cow) avian (bird) and fish. Only the first two produce the disease in man, and, therefore, will alone be considered. There are slight differ ences in the shape staining and cultural manifestation, etc., between the human and bovine bacillus; but the great prac- tical difference is in their disease pro- ducing power which in general terms is this: The human bacillus is very active in producing tuberculosis in man. but
 
 mals. On the other hand the bovine bacil- Jus is very active in, producing tubercu- losis in animals-cattle, monkeys, rabbits, etc.-but is much less active in produc- ing the disease in man. It must be always remembered, however, that both kinds can produce the disease in man.
 The tubercle bacillus grows and multi plies only in the living host-man or ani- mai. After the host dies they cease to grow and multiply. They do not Brow and multiply on the outside no matter what the conditions. They are discharged from the body of a tubercular subject in the breath. the sputum. kidney and bowel discharges, and from tubercular ulcers on the skin. or from the bones, joints etc., where their discharges reach the skin or mucous membrane. After being dis charged from the body direct sunlight kills them. They may live Indefinitely in rooms dust, etc.
 N They are introduced into the body with the breath. through sores and abrasions on the lips. tonsils, etc, or by drinking or eating food upon which they have lodged, or through tuberculous milk and meat. It is estimated that about to Il per cent of all cases of tuberculosis ir man is the bovine variety introduced ir the milk or meat of tuberculous cattle and that from one-quarter to one-half ol all cases of tuberculosis in children under five years of age is of the bovine variety By far the vast majority. of infections arc through the inspired afr containing the bacilli upon dust or moist droplets from the exuired air from a nearby persor with the disease. When introduced into the body they localze-immediately there Is a contest between them and the body cells (the pig and the cog). If the bacill triumph they at once set up to grow an6 multiply and they produce their charac. teristic effects in the tissues, which arc called tubercles. These are small nodules bumps or tumors of which there are two kinds, the gray and yellow. The gray tubercle Is about the size of the head o1 a small pin, grayish in color, slightl, translucent and feels hard like a shot Now at this stage nature may triumph and the process stop. Or they may be. gin to decay forming cheesy substance which turns them yellowish in color, and a whole lot of these will coylesce and form a great big tubercular mass from the size of a pea to that of an grange oI larger. Now various things may happer to this large dead mass. It may absort moisture and liquefy and then discharge leaving behind cavity: or it may take ap lime from the blood and calcify. Final. ly nature Is doing. It's everlasting best tf build around the tubercular mass g fibrous' or hard wall in order to limit the spread of the disease and the self infection with the bacilI. This self-infec. tion may be continuity contiguity