The Coolidge examiner., 1935-10-18


lands are the
countries that
have lower tuberculosis death rates.
These figures are for l02S-l032. The
listing for 1894 Is not available yet
because 1t takes time TO tabulate
the enormous amount OF data.
tuberculosis Is one of the most
prevalent of all contagious diseases.
II is rightly called the white plague.
II is spread over much Of the known
world.
And II IS different from most OF
our other contagious diseases. which
are what We call acute. II any
one has typhoid fever. dlphtheria.
measles, scarlet fever, mumps, or
whooplng cough, he has a period OF
few days 10 three weeks when he
Is confined 10 bed. But recovery
takes place promptly after the fe-
YER stage Is over tuberculosis, on
the contrary. Is chronic disease.
II can extend over a period OF
years. In the beginning stages pa
tients may hardly be aware that
they have II.
II isn't only the human race that.
has tuberculosis. Animals also can
get H. Fish. turtles and frogs have
tuberculosis. Birds. chickens and
turkeys have tuberculosis. Cows
have tuberculosis. The cold-blood-
ed animals are infected with tu-
bercle bacillus that grows only at
at low temperature. and hence
cannot grow In man. Birds have
higher temperature than man,
consequently Il Is hard TO infect us
with their tubercle bacillus. Some
human cases have been reported.
but avian tuberculosis In man is ex-
;remely rare. The tubercle bacIlll
that cows have, however. can grow
In man and cause tuberculosis. But
the disease Is different from the
true human type. as the lungs are
seldom involved in bovine or cattle
tuberculosis IN man. tuberculosis
of the bones. joints and glands In
children. however, are oftentImes
caused by this particular kind of
tubercIe bacilll
Most OF us have breathed in or
swallowed living tubercle baeilll
many times before we reach the
ladolescent stage. When the bacilli
enter the body they either are killed
of quickly or else they find lodg
ment In some organ, usually the
lungs. and there they grow. In
small local spot OF tissue. When
the growth Is very slow. as II Is in
healthy persons. then the surround
Ing tissues can wall of the infected
Iarea. Ii is as II a few thousand
soldiers OF an enemy country had
succeeded In entering the center Of
some state, and then tire defense sol
diers In that state, who could not
drive them out. had sealed them
up In tight-walled enclosure. Now
" these invaders were able TO live
on the water. air and food that
percolate through the walls, then
you would have the same situation
as exist In walled-ln tubercle foci.
The invaders are harmless so long
as the wall holds them prisoners.
but II the wall gives way, we find
an invading army. right In our
midst. Undernourishment and long
fevers, such as uRdulant fever and
parrot fever, and whooping cough,
mumps. diabetes and anemia, all
tend TO lower the body resistance
and open up holes In the walls en-
closing the germ prisoners. The ba-
cilli swarm out of the opening. and
spread rapidly through the adjoin-
ing tissues.
The best way TO prevent tubercu-
losis Is 10 prevent the tubercle ba-
cilll from getting into our bodies.
But this is almost impossible TO
do in the present condition of mod
ern civilization. We have to mix
with many different people. Do you
ever count the number OF persons
you talk with daily, shake hands
with. or stand or sit next to in a
movie theater. church, restaurant,
store. street car or bus? Some OF
them are sure TO have tuberculosis.
Children, too, come IN contact with
persons impregnated with this dis
ease.
One should almost have to live on
desert island, with absolutely no
contact with the outside world, to
be safe from infection.
Consequently, since we can hard
ly prevent tuberculosis germs from
coming into our bodies. the next
best thing to do Is to keep our bod
lily health in such daily good condi-
ton that we can destroy the germs
that do get In. or, If the dose Is be-
yond our ability to destroy. that we
can imprison them In the capsule
form just described. Then our
chances are very good for going
through life without being invaded
by the disease.
But medical science is conquer.
Ing the disease.
@ Western Newspapss Union.