The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-08-06
AsEPsIs AND CONTAGTON


 According to recent investigations the frequency of occurrence of tuberculosis of the lung among medical students has shown an en- couraging decline in the past five years. In 1888 a committee investi- gating medical student health in the United States estimated tuber- culosis rate of 2 per cent in all medical schools, although in some medical schools where well estab- lished student health programs are in effect the rate is as low as O.2 to 0..4 per cent.
 Among the precautions taken to prevent tuberculosis among students of medicine (most of these would in general are CD supervision of the apl4y of course to college students stuaent's living and eating condi- tions; CD provision for regular ex- ercise and wholesmoe recreation; (3) critical investigation of the san- itary atmosphere of restaurant or lunchroom or bearing house and periodic medical examination of walters or food handlers or those who prepare the food in such places, to make certain no potention source of infection is overlooked; (4) tu- berculin testing of all students as routine, when they enter college, and Xray of chest in every instance if the tuberculin test is positive.
 It is a familiar observation that college students, who may have more knowledge than others of their age have but too often lack wisdom, take long chances with their health at period of growth and development when lifelong health habit is being acquired. That is, the habit of keeping well, of giv- ing reasonable an dsensible consid- eration to hygiene without becom- ing at all cranky or morbid about it. In that, as college life goes, students of medicine are not ex- ceptional- are as reckless or as foolish as college students in general.
 Some additional precautions are necessary to protect medical stu dents, as well as interns, hospital staff physicians, nurses, attendants, laboratory technicians and others of the hospital, clinic, dispensary or sanatorium personnel. For instance physicians, students, interns and able masks when examining, treat nurses should invariably wear suit ing or attending patients who have tuberculosis. Unfortunately, how ever, this precaution is more hon. ored in the breach than the obser- vance. Again, something akin to surgical asepsis should be required of all laboratory workers, students, physicians and attendants dealing with tuberculosis pathological ma terial. This rule, too, is grossly vio- lated in too many pretentious insti- tutions.
 Tuberculosis may be spread not only in the droplet spray from the coughing patient but also in the droplet spray of the talking patient. It is ignorance of this fact that &C., counts for the long chances some physicians, interns and poorly trained nurses take when attending patients-without masks.
 Digitalis
 Digitalis does not cure, of course, but there must be a great many with heart trouble who would testify that it has prolonged their lives. Its benefit lies in slowing down too rapid heart and so resting it.
 CMrs. L. s. D.
 Answer-Thank you, Ma am. Digi- tails does indeed slow the heart beat.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
 Vitamin B Complex
 My father has benefited so much from wheat germ that his deafness of years has practically disappeared. Thanks for the tip. He eats six to