Conservative. 11
Ten years ago wo
THE WIIITB
SCOUKGK. did n ° k KU ° W the
cause of the dread
disease consumption. It destroys up
wards of 100,000 people annually in the
United States , and , now that we know
its cause , and how easily preventable it
is , the wonder is that there is so little
public interest. We made a great hue
and cry about the mortality resulting
from our war with Spain a mortality
of less than 8,000 and yet we manifest
a pitiful indifference about the appal
ling number of deaths caused by the
"white scourge. "
"We are indebted to Prof. Koch of
Berlin for the discovery of the cause ,
and there can be little doubt that his line
of research will lead to the discovery
of the cure if it has not already done
BO. The tubercle bacillus , a microscopi
cal rod-like plant is the caxise. Its
potency for mischief is great. It will
remain alive for weeks in a dried state
but it is quickly killed by heat , sunlight
and disinfectants. Once lodged in the
body the tubercle bacillus grows slowly ,
dividing and subdividing , and absorbing
the moisture of the body and stimula
ting the cells to the growth of what is
known as tubercles. These tubercles
break down and are thrown off. If on
the lungs , which is the most common
situation , by coughing and spitting and
this sputum contains thousands of these
deadly bacilli. We have learned a very
comforting fact , namely , that consump
tion is not hereditary. We should
thoroughly understand this for it refutes
a theory of long standing and one still
extensively entertained. The only way
this disease can be acquired is by get
ting into our bodies the tubercular
bacilli from tubercular men or animals.
The only animals prone to convoy this
disease to man are cattle. The danger
from uncooked beef or milk from tuber
cular cattle is real and great , but the
greatest danger is from the sputum of
human beings. While the sputum is
moist it can do no harm unless trans
mitted direct as by coughing or kissing.
But if the sputum becomes dried on the
street , walls , clothing , etc. , and , in the
form of dust , breathed by a healthy per
son , that person's life is endangered. I
must not be understood as implying that
the tubercular bacillus successfmlly at
tacks all persons it touches. Many
persons are immune ; but as we have no
means of knowing beforehand who is
and who is not immune , protective
measures should bo applied for all.
The above facts point to easily-applied
and certain preventives. But these
need the hearty co-operation of the
people , and I am sure we will receive
this if we take the people into our con
fidence. Strip our language of techni
calities and carry our instruction to the
fireside , so to speak. The consumptive
should be taupht the necessity of not
kissing , and also that he should not spit
. fe . ' " *
* A. 4 V.-
in any place where the sputum can
possibly become dried. The great health
resorts are the places of greatest danger
today because of the ceaseless spitting
of the afflicted ones. It should be an
offense in law for anyone to spit on the
street. There is no necessity for isola
tion. The habit of spitting is peculiarly
American , and i am sorry that our
people rather our men indulge in this
habit for it is not only unnecessary but
is disgusting and dangerous. Our
women are far ahead of our men in this.
The women have too much self-respect
to go about expectorating in all direc
tions. Our men are admittedly the
cleanest physically and morally of all
men in the world ; and this repulsive
habit leaves them vulnerable to the un
just charge of being unclean. I am
confident that if our men will give this
subject a moment's thought they will
change. The next preventive measure
is the inspection of cattle. A medical
man should inspect every bovine before
it is used as food.
Apropos of this it is noticeable how
few of the Jews are consumptive. This
is due to the inspection of meat required
by their religion. This subject is not so
doleful as uly remarks may lead one to
think. I believe the cure is almost , if
not just at hand , as intimated above.
Before 1890 , when Professor Koch pro
pounded his germ theory , there was no
cure , a few only being able to throw off
the disease. Professor Koch succeeded
in curing 85 per cent of all cases and the
German government today maintains
large experimental laboratories which are
under the control of Professor Koch. I
have been several times through these
laboratories and hospitals and I am confi
dent the euro is close at hand. In fact
it is recently stated that one of his
assistants has succeeded in obtaining an
antitoxiue that cures 95 per cent.
A. M. LONGSHORE-POTTS , M. D.
POLITICAL.
The Philadelphia Press ( rep. ) urges
that "a demand for honest election laws
be the issue in the nomination and elec
tion of members of the next Pennsyl
vania legislature. "
Summing up the political situation , it
appears to the Des Moiues Loader ( dem. )
"that Nebraska , except the small moun
tain states of Nevada , Idaho , Utah ,
Montana and Colorado , is the only state
west of the Missouri river Mr. Bryan
can reasonably hope to carry if nomi
nated again. And there are no com
pensating gains. Maryland is safely
republican if the money question is the
issue , and the sowing of faction which
has been made so plentiful in Kentucky
this year probably means that next year
it also will be republican. It may be
that no democrat can bo elected for
such are the probabilities but certainly
Mr. Bryan cannot bo elected. It would
make no difference what was the phras-
ing of the platform , for he is a platform
in himself , and popularly his renomina-
tion would bo given but one inter
pretation. "
Bryan , according to the Richmond
Times ( dom. ) can find no comfort in the
elections , outside of the one in Nebras
ka , and the result there it regards as a
populist rather than a democratic
victory. It will not make predictions ,
"but , " it says , "it does seem to us that
this is enough to retire William J.
Bryan from the race in 1900. "
"Why should the Filipinos not be
allowed to try the experiment of self-
government under the auspices and pro
tection of the government of the United
States if they will stop fighting and con
sent so to do ? " asks the Burlington
( Vt. ) Free Press ( rep. ) . "Which will
be worth most to us their friendship
and gratitude , or their undying hatred
and hostility ? "
It would appear to the Chicago News
( ind. ) that "the Jones vote in Ohio
means to a certain extent the breaking
up of the old hard-and-fast party lines.
It is an indication to party leaders that
the people are assuming the right to
think for themselves , and that it will
hereafter be a dangerous experiment in
Ohio or elsewhere for party managers to
shape issues and fashion platforms with
out taking this fact into account. "
"The American people are supporting
the administration and will support it
through the war in the Philippines inde
pendent of any differences of opinion in
regard to the final disposition of those
islands , " comments the Pittsburg Dis
patch ( rep. ) . "If the state elections
have any significance in connection with
that subject , it is in showing that while
the people support the administration in
defence of the flag they are not going
beyond the present to give popular
endorsement to any policies not yet fully
defined. "
"The year 1900 without a presidential
campaign , without pivotal states and
the long strain of contending factions ,
will be a curiosity , " remarks the Boston
Transcript ( rep. ) "Such a situation
has its advantages as well as its defects.
Any party suffers from the lack of a
vigorous opposition. It is doubtful if
the civil service reform bars would have
been let down by the present adminis
tration had a vigorous democratic party
like that which existed ten years ago
been standing ready to take advantage
of it. On the other hand , a party in
power which needs to have no serious
fear of defeat can go ahead and do the
things that ought to be done , regardless
of temporary advantage. Why should
the republican party now fear to enact ,
for example , the most comprehensive
measure of banking and currency re
form that its best statesmanship finds to
bo the actual need of the country ? "
