The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-09-08
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What IS tuberculosis?

-rBERCULos1s or consumption, known also as ~''phthisis us
a tTsasn ef little e1 rodssha 4usie germs pg Sc called ed "tubercls baeclI, +"
because as they ~ multiply 1ta21y they they p pIs1tiks sp para sa@p' 50 d small
that thew must be magnifed hundreds of times under q powerl"
microscope before one can see them at all. Ill., -. ~;uno+o ~
fungus psa g owl must live By taking life from something else, and on
this account it lives in the e body Of t human man D tha In o a or ths spine spine,
thai thar m anyT f1snven stIs' in m the sni Iun ess' and M the ise Other se organs Of breathing:
Outside of the body, the germs OF tuoerculosis may De e Hos}
lille Il if the S are exposed p b to aae' vs ssni'g or strong gsa alkaline EaHus soaps
washing soda and similar household cleansing Lansing solutions ms W. a amt'
side of the body in warm, moist, dark places, such as corners OF
rooms and Railways, for months OF even years. i, bove consumpe.
ton and others, the germs of the disease are everywhere: every
time a person who has the bacilli in his sTputum splt Is on H. N S7 lions,
sidewalk or in any other exposed place, the germs by te p nnton LIS
may become dry, and when stirred up by a broom m or dns cur sen5 a as
air may be inhaled by the chance passer. A speck Oh L G hnnd raSa Of If
these hes tiny germs. On this account nearly everybody at some time
or other breathes in the living germs ERIN @ o. tn saeTerIaeis?' Because the
germs Of tuberculosis in the body cannot grow, unless t aDGed ma sr ep.
tain tissues that are weak, aa bly,. or ,o as it IS sss 1s1tep e' to tube e.
losis. If this resistance is lowered for any reason tae germs, M 4;nrua
are almost always present rssm i in the t6n Dod tye ,T disea auc is started I'T It takes
more than the presence of the germ in the BODY u cause oI.. to
It needs + also IS i 4 leT tSe se tyranny anS t the so il TN The u" scafey parasite that
ruins a rosebush frequently comes from a poorly Te 4he Ill +.
allowed IL 1T to lose its normal and natara! fertility, the seed ed. will nd1a ps,
duee disease: II the soil is .l kept up to III, gmn IG dey ssIeps~' '' N4
Once the germs begin to grow in the body, they produce m'urS
u II III y they I destroy tissues. The destruction in the lung, for exam
ME, NAV amount to q very small spot, or it may be a large caVi ny
Ind not infrequently an entire lung. The sooner the disease Is US,
covered, the smaller will be the amount OF tissue oes'oseu' q "
general rule. . a. +..r,esn non
which it lives, also produces certain poisons or TOXINS, Wh G IL
turn, cause most of the symptoms of the disease. mus !" mn thr ss
germs may be active in the lungs, the poison "n'n '' "N
off goes through the entire system.
The commonest early symptoms OF consumption are; 10Y
~ Persistent cough or cold lasting a month or ionger; Hy
Loss of weight and appetite; (3) Run down feeling; IN A1ts snao
temperature: () Night sweats; and () Splitting OF Olooo VI Sf'"A
Of blood in sputum. Au,a ,ooa n +o
The presence of any of these symptoms should le q l. n d Is
consult q physician at once. tuberculosis can be cured II II IS rs
covered in time. It costs little to be examined and cured. 1t IS very
expensive to delay and die. r.
rNorE-rhs IL the First Of a Series Of Five Articles Prepared oy n.
National Association for the Study and Prevention OF unercu'o' ""
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