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79
tion to their general experience, both England and Germany have
some agricultural districts shewing more deaths from Tuberculosis
than had some industrial districts. It was pointed out that
favourable conditions for decreasing the death rate from Tuberculosis
were clean dwellings, with well lighted and pure air, good
nourishment, and regular hours of work, and it was shewn that in
some country districts the dwelling apartments were kept in
conditions of great uncleanliness, which uncleanliness paralyzes
the pure fresh air and favours the infection by decreasing the
resisting power of the body. It was shewn that success in the
fight against Tuberculosis depends, in the first place, on the
practical destruction of the excretion, containing as it did the
tubercular bacilli in large numbers.
The connection between Tuberculosis and dust is everywhere
well known, it being conclusively proved that the inhalation of
dust predisposes to the infection of Tuberculosis, and besides
dust, intoxication, as Alcohol; constitutional illness, as Diabetes;
slight illness, as Catarrh; severe infectious diseases, as Whooping
Cough, Measles, and Influenza, all meant the predisposition to
Tuberculosis. On the other hand, a man who is slightly infected
with Tuberculosis can die of another infection, such as Influenza,
which he otherwise would have recovered from.
It was stated that if we prevent the breaking out of Tuberculosis,
or if we, after curing, make a man having Tuberculosis
capable of work, we do a good social work, and benefit the human
race. It was also stated that the infection of children by infected
milk has been very much under-estimated, and accordingly all
measures that will improve the milk supplied to children will be of
practical benefit.