Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1916-08-09
!. !. !. j. i. j. !. i. !. !. !. !. !. i.
i "CATCHING" TUBERCULOSIS, i.
!. OR INFECTION. .h
Il =. =. =. =. =. - =. =. p. y. =.

lnS, ldIlluS SICK WllH luDCICulOSlS
means a very real danger not only to
his own life, but to the lives of his
wife and children as we'll. His wealth.
Ter neighbor may lay aside his rou-
tine cares and take the cure" for
tuberculosis without materially af-
fecting his family's health or income.
The cOnsumpt;ve workingman, on the
other hand, must give up his job and
with it his only income, and at the
same time he is frequently compelled
to remain at home, Il constant source
of danger to his family, unless he is
properly instructed. 1t may save you
who read this article considerable
money and suffering if you learn from
it how to avoid the entrance of tuber-
culosis into your body.
Tuberculosis is infectious and COM
municable from one person to ano-
ther. 1t differs in some respects from
scarlet fever, measles, or smallpox,
so-called contagious" diseases, in
that tuberculosis requires repeated
exposures and certain special condi-
tons to pass the germs from the sick
to the we'll. 1t is not inherited, but
must be communicated through one
of the following sources from one per-
son to another.
I. The infection Is derived in the
very large majority Of cases from the
sputum discharged from "open" or
ulcerating tubercles in the lungs
2. A certain number of persons
chiefly infants, estimated variously
from one to ten per cent Of all cases,
receive the infection from the milk
Of tuberculous COWS.
3. A very few others may possibly
obtain the Infection from the urine
and fecal discharges Of consumLtives
or from the pus joints or other parts
of the body which are the seat OF ul-
cerating tuberculosis.
4. In a few extremely rare in
stances the infection is conveyed
through the blood of the mother to
an unborn child, but the offspring
seldom survive long,
5. No infection can be conveyed
from tuberculosis of the "closed" or
non-ulcerated variety, or after ulcer
ations are completely healed.
With regard to the manner Of in
fection, still bearing in mind that
tuberculosis must be communicated
from one person to another, we find
that by far the most frequent mode
of infection is by inhalation: the
second Is by swallowing, and the least
common, by inoculation Of wound
or abrasion. Considering each of
these modes of infection little more
carefully, we learn that:
l.. The bacilli are inhaled most Of
ten in dust. The dust is most often
contaminated by careless splitting;
but the germs may also be given out
in the act Of coughing (with the
mouth unprotected) or hawking,
sneezing, loud talking, singing or
laughing. Quiet breathing carries no
infection.
2. The bacilli may be swallowed
with food which has been contaminat-
ed with infected hands or otherwise,
and also with the milk, butter and
other dairy products derived from
cows suffering from bovine tubercu-
losis.
8. Inoculation by the Infection Of
cuts, scratches, Or abrasions Is not
frequently observed
While no age, race, or class is i'm
mune against infection from tubercu-
losis, children are more susceptible
than any one else. At the age Of 15,
frequently us high as 70 per cent Of
the population may show the presence
Of the germs, though not that many
may be sick with tuberculosis In
view, however, Of the fact that these
germs may lay quiet in the body of
the child for years, until with unfav-
orable surroundings his resistance is
lowered, causing the disease to de-
velop. 1t is extremely important that
fathers and mothers do everything
possible to keep their children away
from danger OF infection in their ear
lier years.
Everything should be done ut home
to keep the child rugged and healthy.
The father and mother, whether they
have tuberculosis or not, should be
scrupulously careful in their habits