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36
METROPOLITAN BOROUGH OF ST. MARYLEBONE
Public Health Department.
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST CONSUMPTION.
Consumption is an infectious disease. It is caused by a
microbe or germ, which grows in the lungs of the patient. 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 fine dust and get into the air. Persons
breathing this air may then 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 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.
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, when almost cured, start the
disease afresh by breathing his own dried sputum.
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 emptied 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
should never be carried loose in the pocket after being used, but
should be put into 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.