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57
Precautions Against Consumption.
Consumption is an infectious disease. It is caused by a germ called the
tubercle bacillus, which grows in the lungs of a consumptive patient in
enormous numbers, and the sputum(spit) coughed up by the patient
contains a great many of these germs. When this sputum is allowed
to dry it may become powdered into a line dust and be blown about in
the air. Any persons breathing this air may take the germs into their
lungs, and, after a time, become consumptive. This is how consumption
is spread from one person to another.
A consumptive patient who does not take care to destroy his sputum before
it becomes dry is a source of danger to other people and to himself, for
he may re-infect himself by breathing his own dried sputum.
A consumptive patient should on no account spit on the floor of any room,
workshop, theatre, or other place where people assemble; or on the
floor of any railway-carriage, tram-car, or other public conveyance; or
on a street pavement.
Nor should the patient spit into an ordinary pocket handkerchief. The
sputum soon dries in the pocket, and when the handkerchief is next
used a cloud of infective dust may be scattered around the patient.
At home the patient should spit into a piece of paper or clean rag. which
should be at once burnt on the fire. If there is no fire the patient
should spit into a jar, pocket spittoon or other vessel containing water
or some fluid disinfectant to keep the sputum moist. The vessel should
be erupted twice a day down the water-closet and then thoroughly
cleansed with boiling water before being again used.
Outside the house the patient should spit into a pocket spittoon, which
should contain a little water or fluid disinfectant, and should be kept
perfectly clean. Or the patient may carry a number of pieces of soft
paper or clean rags to spit into. These after being used, should never
be carried loose in the, pocket, but in a tobacco pouch, sponge bag, or
other waterproof receptacle. On returning home the paper or rags
should be burnt and the pouch or bag well washed with disinfectant.
All persons who have a chronic cough should carry out the above precautions.
The knives, forks, spoons, plates, cups, &c., used by a consumptive patient
should be put into boiling water immediately after use, and should
never be used by another person.
The patient's night-clothes, sheets, pillow-slips, &c., should not be mixed with
the general washing of the family, nor sent to a public laundry, but
should be boiled and then washed by themselves at home.
A consumptive patient should, if possible, occupy a separate bedroom, or at
least a separate bed. The rooms should have plenty of sunlight and