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3. The breathing of air over and over again in
crowded rooms.
4. House dampness.
5. Dust.
6. Absence of proper exercise.
7. Chronic spirit drinking.
There is a form of consumption affecting the abdominal glands
of young children, called ''consumption of the bowels" which is
thought to be due to the taking of cow's milk infected with the
tubercle bacillus, and which can be prevented by boiling the milk
when it is received into the house.
It has been our practice for more than three years past to visit
every house in which a person has died from Phthisis. To make a
complete examination of the premises, and to disinfect when
required.
Directions for the Prevention of Consumption.
Consumption is an infectious disease, though of limited extent in
its infective power. It attacks weakly, ill-fed persons who take
but little exercise in the open air and who live in dark and illventilated
houses. The lungs are the organs mostly affected. The
disease is spread through the expectoration of an infected person
which is loaded with the tubercle bacilli, or small bodies which are
the active agents in the complaint.
Persons suffering from the disease should be careful to burn the
expectoration, or sputum The expectoration should be spat into a.
paper bag or piece of paper which should be thrown into the fire.
It is not advisable to spit into the pockethandkerchief, but if, at any
time, that is unavoidable, the handkerchief must be washed in
boiling water as soon as possible.
Glass vessels, or spittoons, half full of some fluid disinfectant,
such as dilute carbolic acid (a wine-glassful of commercial carbolic
acid to a pint of water) should be used when no fire exists to burn
the paper bags.