The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-08-12
PLEASE, WISEACRES, DON'T CALL TT TIE

If is absolutely safe for any intelligent person
 to visit tuberculosis invalid in the sanatorium or hospital or in the patients g home, proVided- l. That kissing is barred
 g. That the patient is conscientious enough
 and strong enough to cover nose ana mouth II it becomes necessary to cough or sneeZe. 2. That there be no hand-shakng or other actual contact with the patient, unless the ViS- itor immediately afterwards washes his hands with soap and water, before bringing them to or near his own face or touching anybody else. A. That the visitor remain throughout the visit at least five feet away from the patient, for if there is no intervening mask or screen the patients conversational spray range is up to four feet.
 Frequently people ask whether there is any risk involved in buying and using articles made by tuberculosis invalids such as lamp shades bits of fancy work, objects of paper. leather, cloth metal. wood. Of course there is no risk or danger involved in buying or rcceVing ana using such objects, for there is not the slight est evidence that tuberculosis is ever spread by
 any object. even though 1t be grossly contain
 mated Tubercle bacllli, In fact do not survive
 more than an hour on or Tn any dry surface or
 substance and many careful tests have proved
 that it s difficult or impossible to inoculate
 even very susceptible animals by injecting into
 their tissues dry scrapings from the hoor or
 furniture of rooms occupied by tuberculosis ln-
 vads.
 Here and there in beniRhtcd communities the
 politicians in charge of the public library m-
 pose restrictions on the use of the books by
 tuberculosis persons This is as absurd as Is the
 raising of great stink in a library in the name
 of disnfecting books precautiOn against
 the spread of disease--thcse comical capers are
 done only, I say, in bcnighted communities
 Nowhere in the world is one safer against the
 chance of catching tuberculosis than in a well
 conducted tuberculosis hospital or sanatorium
 for the simple reason that everybody in the in-
 sttution knows ho wto take just such precau- tions as those above described and does take just such care constantly, or If too ill to do so then has the viRilant care of nurse or attend ant, who is of course trained in the technic of ascpss. One of the great advantages of a so- iourn of six months or more in a tuberculosis hospital sanatorium for any patient Is the knowledge of this aseptic technic the patient acquires there. This knowledge gets back home with the patient. and it serves to protect all those who come into intimate association with the patient and without this valuable knowledge the patient even though he be ever so conscientious, could not give his friends this assurance
 In the incipient beginning stage of lung tuberculosis there are no tubercle baciili given off, and hence the patient cannot spread the disease. But who can tell when incipicncy has passed and the second stage arrives, in which the germs are constantly given off, and the pa ticnt may infect others?
 If you are interested in tuberculosis send a stamped envelope bearing your address and ask for the monograph on Tbc--if you don't care 10 write out tubercuosis-but donl call it '"TB" if you expect me to understand you.