The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1922-04-05
PREVENTION OF TUBERCULOSIS
A VALUABLE ASSET.
Prepared by the
DR.. GEORGE THOMAS PALMER,

President Illinois Tubefouesis &a@e atoH Springfield, H.
THE prevention of tuberculosis consists first. in l.. avoidance of infection
= by the germ of the disease and seq d. i'll the IaeAcnu9nU Of active tther
culous disease after infection may have been acquired Thousands Of persons
one lives properly, it is possible for him to carry tu1ercuous infection through.
out his entire life without devHopin@ tubefeaios disease Or consumption.
The mai with tuberculous infection, however : always IN more Or lessd mger
and consequently every effort should be made o avoid initial Infection
Ts avoid first infection and to prevent the development of later disease
there must be team work on the part Of the individual and the community.
However careful the individual nay be. he is OF safe n Il community where
health regulation is disregarded, and On the other hand. the entire em
munfty is endangered by the care1essness of the infected person.
The first problem Of preventing infection must re solved o only by
sal public regulation and contrOlo of all consunpives who may spread the
disease, but by the regulation of all oft those things which directly " indirectly
affect the general public health. TO prevent his own infection the individual
good hyWenic conditions in all places where he works or plays or joins with
others in his recreation. The individual child must be rgMly protected
rom contact with any consunptive " possible consunptve.
To syoid tuberculous disease or consumption or the prt of the individual
who is already infeded-and at present about eighty per cent of persons
acquire !ubercuous infection at IN time or another-the chief problem is
that If maintaining individual health att its highest point While the infected
individual may round out a long life without evidence of the disease, it is
also true that he may develop active disease at any time through the lowering
of his Physical strength or resistance. Hence he nust live a safe sane
normal kfe with the right kind o. food, with ample fresh air with modera
of any unnecessary strain. He mnst also exacr of his community those tv!e
conditions necessary to good community health, including good holNnG,
efficient general health administration, clean streets, proper ventilation of
public places, safe milk supply and a reasonable measure o public recreation
1t has been stated that if every man woman and child would utilize our
present knowledge of prevention, tuberculosis would be wiped out in II few
generations.
The gratifying reduction in tuberculosis during past years has not been
due to epoch making scientific discoveries, nor even to records of the activities
Of sanatorta and doctors and nurses, but rather to national, state and local
campaigns of popular education through which people have been taught t.
live san and wholesome lives. In spite of the success which has attended
the educational efforts Of the past it must be recognized that the vast
majority of the people of the United States have moi yet acquired the truth
about this disease the truth which will make them free from the creates
scourge with which mankind has ever been afflicted.