GUARDING AGAINST CONSUMPTION.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 August 1923, Page 4

GUARDING AGAINST CONSUMPTION.

(By Percy Dunn, U.It.C.S. in “Daily Mail.”)

Tuberculosis is not an epidemic disease. But as long ago ns 1865 it was experimentally shown to be contagious. There are three modes by which the infection can be conveyed. The tubercle bacillus may bo inhaled, swallowed with food, especially milk, or directly inoculated on the skin.

In several respects it differs from otlfer infectious and contagious diseases by its mode of onset. Whooping cough for example, is contagious before Die cough—its characteristic, sign - declares itself, and yet statistics have shown that more deaths occur from tuberculosis than from diseases which are epidemic.

This fully emphasises the danger ol the contagions nature of the tuberculous disease, the necessity of never ignoring this, and of taking precautions against exposure under conditions favourable to the dissemination of the infection.

ft is as well to remember that pre-dbpo-itinii constitutes a most important factor in determining its onset. 'Jhiiiniv be partly congenital or mainly acquired. In the latter ease predispos.ilion is due to what is technically known a-. -"diimini-bcd re-t-tamet'”

that is. a condition in which the vital itv of tile ii-sue - has been reduced 1a low ebb.

For example, t!i! is met with in rapidly growing young adult- of both sexes —-Ihose of whom it is commonly said have “outgrown their strength”; others who have been overworked; those wln'se strength has been seriously reduced by a grave illness trom which they have otherwise recovered, and those who have suffered from chronic malnutrition

Again common observation lias taught that chronic alcoholism, as it has been said, “makes the bed for tuberculosis.” I knew of a north-country village which was saturated with tuberculosis infection. The young girls - those, indeed. who survived —g: ev, up w ith beautiful pink and white complexions anti were vivacious and otherwise attractive.

The marriageable young men foil under their sway. Inlorrnairiage came to be the common rule; thus most ol the families were related. Cousins were marre-d to cousins and all belonged to a tuberculosis slock. Phen the children came and the fate which li-l'cli them was a natural sequence. In att.- • a-r-s the families were de-eit-.tel d by phthisis. Front one infolded child in n Imu.-ehoM. the other children in turn became ir.levu-d. Tie chief safcgii.-ud against the di--s; miaation oi tuberculosis is prophylaxis i-onducti-d upon lines as petted a- iii-ibb-. Mothers with young children should mrke a point ol t boron-ddy aci|U. timing iki-m-elvc- with the propiivbi'.io nrccatit ions which are so vital. Tin. t.i-ssibilitics tmderl.ving the i-xpo--111,. : i infect inn should never he lost sight of. The ‘"now soil" in the infi.nf i- esp.-fiall.-. liable to inl'cdi-at. and ii is in w recognised that phthisis in the adult is possibly often due to it pp. -ill iulccu’im acquit ed din ing ehildItoci.