The sun., 1916-12-03
CALLS WAR AGAINST
TUBERCULOSIS VAIN
DR.. Maurice Fishberg Says
Campaign Is Largely
Wasted Effort.
MAJORITY ARE IMMUNE
30 Per Cent. of Persons i'm Civ
1lizcd Countries Affected
at Some Period.
MAJORITY ARE IMMUNE

In AN article in the New York Medical
Journal. Just issued. Or. Maurice Fish
berg. clinical professor Of medicine at
the Bellevue Hospital Medical College
n attending physician at the Monte
fore Home and Hospital for Chronic
Diseases. declares that more than 30 per
cent. Of persons in large cities have been
Infected with tuberculosis.
Considering hat prophylaxis aims
mainly AZ the prevention of infection. II
appearr that 1t has utterly failed in its
aims" he says. AN energies hav been
directed toward killing the bac!lll out
side the human body. or preventing
their entry into the body yet the tu5ef-
culin test MS vel as careful dissection
~ the human body after death has
shown that over 80 per cent. oi human
beings in large cities have been infected
during their lifetime.
Two Kinds Of Infection.
when We speak of tuberculosis we
must alw Us draw "A sharp line Of dis
Traction between infection with tubercle
l|.scillt. and disease which d.sables the
victim, requiies careful treatment aud
pcrnaps kills. Il Is a fact no generally
Nnown that not every Infection with
,ubercle bac.,li Is followed by that train
OF ~ mptoins which We call tubcrculous
disease III it, yarious forms 1t seems
that the vast majority OF infected sub
Je,ts continue In good or fair health and
only exceptionally become sick or die as
u result Of the Infection
Dr. Fishbers declares tina HE mos.
important faIlacy about tuberculous In
lection H. the belief that a person may
be infected several times with the virus
~ the disease. lie asserts that recent
research has shown that tuberculosis l.
NO exception to the rule 81 pathology
that one attack OF a specific disease i'm
munizes gains further and renewed m
fiction with the same virus.
city Dwrliers' Immunity.
In proof Of his statement Dr. Fish
berg points out that infants and savage
tribes previously not exposed to iufeS-
ton Ill. OF acute tuberculosis when IN
fected. while city jewellers. who come
into daily contact with persons al. Ted
by the disease and undoubtedly iahale
baoilli. only exceptionally manifest ac-
F live tuberculous disease. H.. also points
out fhat doctors. nurses and attendants
a. tuberculosis hospitals suffer no more
than other not connected with tuber-
cu.os.s patients.
Nearly all human beings living In
civilized countries continues DR. Fish
berg. have been Infected with tubercle
hacilli before reaching adolescence. In
some tuLryculuuS disease has d-,eioued.
but most have remained healthy and. In
addition. have thus been mmuniZe
~aSaInst Iriut,Vtion. They are. therefore.
safe when coming into contact with
jHh-rcl, bacilli. which they cauno,
avoid. since. they have not been .radi-
: Gated by The strenuous campaign which
has necn wassd against them"
when ! speak OF our Wodern methods
II p~rophylsxlS | know that | am tread
ing on dangerous ground Or. shberg
says. THE work OF the health authori-
ties has become = fctich. and an! one
W0' suggest that some of the methods
are f~lllac!ous Is in the same danger as
when he attempts 10 discuss critically
some religious dogma
In sncaking of IN. campaign against
tuberculosis be saws
considering that the ampaig has
not produced the results which It's Voc
tarics have ascribed 10 II. u IS but Just
to ASK whether IL should be continued
1nrSmuch as adults cannot he Infected
with tub"ryle hac!ili. II is prob'ema,ical
whether ~. vigorous follow up' system
prdCticed b. ,lc Health Department OF
this city Is justified, n u tuberculous
husband cannot infect his wifi, We may
assur.dly conclude that a tuherculous
Workman cannot infect his uelghbor In
the factory. l. l. therefore n vain and
often a cruel procodur. 10 exclude tibor.
Culous workmeu from factories. as has
been done by the authorities and ltbo,
unions OF this city"