Spread of Consumption

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1848, 6 September 1913, Page 13

Spread of Consumption

By Perspiration. '

Lecturing recently at the Academy of Medicine, Paris, Dr. Poncet stated that he and M. Miery, of Lyons, had found virulent tubercle bacilli in the perspiration of over 30 per cent, of the patients th'ey had examined who were suffering from tuberculosis lesions of a surgical type. These, consisting as they did of cases of rheumatism and peritonitis, were cither inactive or feebly active. In those cases where the disease was strong active bacilli were almost always present. In fact, the violent sweats of the consumptive may be regarded as one of Nature's means of getting rid of the poisonous.microbes. The doctor insisted that it was necessary to disinfect all clothing and other objects tlmt had been contaminated by the sweat of the tuber- .< culous, and that separate beds should always be reserved for them. Recently Mr. F. H. Molesworth, F.C.S., F.G.S., of Sydney, had a pound of dust swept up from a wharf, and found it to contain the bacillus of tuberculosis. Having immersed this in a 10 per cent, solution of Lifebuoy Soap for 15 minutes, the tubercle bacilli (which were fairly numerous) were all destroyed. Household dust he treated in the same manner, with the same practical results, clearly demonstrating the strong germicidal powers of Lifebuoy Soap. It is a very simple flatter to destroy disease germs in the webkly wash, and there is no surer way of doing this than by using Lifebuoy Soap in the laundry, as well as for geiieral household work. Lifebuoy Soap will not hurt the skin : in fact, it is very largely used as a bath soap, readily washing off perspiration, and at the same time destroying any disease germs that may be in the perspiration.