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SEW SERIES, v TOL. IS. No. 4.
HENDEKSOVILLE, KOBH CAROLINA, TIIIJESD AT, ' KO YEMBEB 2, 1911.
$1.00 FEB TEAB.
M mam. ... M . I
Hill'
JJY i;
! ' V I I I J
IE
VERSA
The Fight Against Consumption by Dr.
John Roy Williams, M. D., Hend erson
ville, North Garoliria. ' :
For centuries the ' scientific world
has been vigorously active In an en
deavor to control .-.. disease; and to
eventually eliminate the C diseases
which are known to he communicable
and preventable. One" does not have
to resort to medical literature to read
of the fearful havoc WTOughtby. cer
tain bacterial diseases,-for history is
full of it; and the lay-literature "is
today, and has beenfor many years,
calling attention to the . ways and
means t)f prevention. ,;
With the advancement of civiliza
tion and higher knowledge, a num
ber of fearful diseases. which have in
the past attacked nations in severe
epidemic form, have yielded to the
onslaughts of the army- of scientists
v.ho have been devoting their lives to
a study of the subject. The forts and
fortifications which have been thrown
up by this army of students, have been
knowledge acquired by scientific re
search an dobservations. With . big
guns," like Koch, Pastuer, Jenner," von
Behring, Hafkin, . Trudeau, Ehrlich
and others, they have shelled the
camps of disease with, bombs of im
proved sanitation,- hygiene and reme
dial agents, andhave wroughVhavoc
in their ranks. ,
Some of you may recall the fearful
epidemics of small-pox that have at
tacked our people in different sec
tions of the United States, yhen-communities
have become decimatednay
, that one time fearful disease. 1 Some
of you may be advised as to the epi
. demies of that disease in: other coun
tries in past years, ut small pox no
longer terrifies us as it once did. We
still have it in many communities, Iso
lated cases; and because-of its highly
contageous nature, we- still quaran
tine against it. But it is now; mild in
its attack, death from it "being so rare
that the medical profession has come
to look upon it lightly from the stand
point of its being a fatal disease, '
f On the 14th day of May, 1796,-Jen-.p
ner took fromthe- hand of a dairy
; maid, some matter- from" a cow pox
f pustule; and "with. it. hcinocculated
the arm of a boy James Phipps by
name, believing - it - wuld protect
against small pox. July 1st, 1796, he
inocculated this boy with some mat
L
Vis
your Thearie so cheap it will pay" v you.
The bargains you will find will be appre
ciated by you.. Now is the time to cornel
Men's . heavy . rawhide shoes $3 value
for . . . . :. . u;. . . .r .v. . . .$2.50
Men's brogan shoes. $1.50 value. $1J25
ilen's brogan shoes, $.11.5 value. , , 93c
The famous JeflFerspn trousers the best value in
Hendersonville for the money. Positively worth
$1.50, ging while they last at 98c. ;
Best Oil Cloth .15e yd.
Wooi NapvBlankets $3.00 value . . $1.95
Dixie Bread - Cloth worth 60 cents per
yard for I ,l. .V.7i . --38c
Peearl Buttons . .......... . .lc card
i ' -
OPPOSITE COURT HOUSE
Ml
ter from a small pox postute. and fail
ed to produce the disease. From this
experiment, vaccination, one of the
world's greatest boons, has been giv
en us ; and by it, the- terrors of small
pox and all the .fearful consequences
have been conquored. . In some coun
tries where the . disease has been so
prevalent, compulsory vaccination -has
been enforced, and small pox is no
longer known "there. This is partic
ularly true in Germany and Sweeden.
. Typhoid fever could with equal ease
be eliminated. By -improved sanita
tion, the conditions requisite for the
propogation of the germ of typhoid
fever can be removed, and by protect
ing our people with Anti-typhoid vac
cine, the disease could soon be stamp
ed out of existence. Improved ' san
itation and hygiene will also curtail
the number of cases of scarlet, fever,
diphtheria, malaria, and in fact all pf
the preventable diseases. These disr
eases have been properly termed
"filth diseases," for the conditions out
side of the human 'body Which are nec
essary for- the :Propogation . of the
germs which cause them, are .found
only in dirty and filthy, places. Ifwe
keep pur places free from filth' and
decomposing organic matter, then the
home of disease germs would be de
stroyed, and soon there would be no
more germ diseases. j
But I wish particularly' to call your
attention to the most wide spread of
all diseases. TUBERCULOSIS; or as
it is more generally .known, CON
SUMPTION. To the scientist there is
a distinct difference n the meaning of
the two' words, but by the lay-world
theyi are used synonamously. Tuber
culosis is a single specific ; disease,
while consumption is ;- tuberculosis j
complicated by one-Qr more other dis
eases. " - . -
We define tuberculosis as being a
chronic infectious disease .caused-by
little germ , known as the "TUBER
CLE BACILLUS." Jt may attack, any
portion of the body, but attacks' the
loungs more often than any other por
tion. The germ is a little fod shaped
piant, aDout l-ivuu or an men m
nngth and
1-1QO00
has no
of an inch in
motion and docs
breadth. It
not increase in. numbers outside of the
in
mora
nt my store, mv goods
Boy's, first-class brogan shoes. .$1.15
Women's, hekvy Kangroo shoes $1.50
value ; for . . . . . . V. $1.25
Women's heavy Kangroo" shoes j . 98c
LTmbrellas, 50c value for. . . . . . . . .25c
'Men's Hats, $1.00 value for....:. .50c
3 boxes Soda for
f
3 boxes starch for
Miles and Miles of
-
Talk toyour friends across die way about it
Asli, your, next ddor neighbor about
: '. .
QmFS
body: It. is eliminated from tie body
of the person suffering from the dis
ease, chiefly'; by the sputum cpughed
up from the lungs. In some cases, we
also find if in. the discharges from the
bowel, the kidneys, and in. pus from
tuberculous abscesses.' " -
We define consumption as being a
complication of diseases. It is tub
erculosis upon which, has been en
grafted one or more other diseases.
Here we have the. tubercular areas at
tacked by one -or more of the 'pus
forming germs, by, the typhoid germ,
the germs of pneumonia or the bacil
lus of Influenza. - From this, you read
ily see that we have a complication of
diseases; :
In 1882, Prof. Robert Koch, a Ger
man health officer, discovered and 'de
monstrated the cause of tuberculosis.
Until then, It has been theoretical as
to -the " true cause. Numerous and
many theories were advanced, even
from" the days of Hippocrates, who
lived in the 4tb-century before Ctirist.
Until Koch's discovery, inheritance
was strongly advocated by the scien
tific world ;,and even today, many phy
sicians who are not close students of;
the disease, still Jhold tcr the theory of
heridity in tuberculosis. While the
spcial students,,: of tuberculosis recog
nize that in a few rare instances ' tu
berculosis has ,'been- inherited, yet
there "are so few instances of it that
it is not entitled to very much con
sideration. What we must consider,
most in regard to. inheritance and tu
berculosis is the 'possible predispo
sition which the child may inherit from
the tuberculous parent.
This is not, a-specific predisposition
to tuberculosis, however, but is a pre
disposition to any and all of the com
municable, diseases. It means no
more than the child Is born witha
weakened resistance to any and all
diseases. ; Such a child should be care
fully reared and given all of the ad
vantages of modern hygiene and 'sani
tation. If that is one - most of tthem
wUl soon acquire strong, and vigorous
constitutions, and have as much re
sistance to disease as chjldren born of
perfectly healthy parents'.
Since the discovery of the tubercle
bacillus, there has been born V mod
ern knowledge of tuberculosis which
is based on known facts and not on
theory. . By means of it; we are now
able to teach ways ind means for the
control of the disease, and for pre
venting further spread , .of iV-r Also
latter day teaching ha shcTwn thf Y
the disease is a curable one, and easily
curab'le in the early stage. We are
able to cure thousands "of cases now,
when before but few were reclaimed.
" I would, call your attention' partic
ularly to the prevention of - tubercu
losis. . It is a big subject, and,one
that has interested me for the past
eight years. I am not prepared to tell
you just how many men and women
are active today in the stiidy of this
great question; but. suffice it to say
that there are millions of them. That
will
........ 10c
calico for . . .5c yd.
PHONE 188
y j
ran
pie
their labor are not in vain is attested
by the mortuary, statistics the "world
over. In Boston, New Y6rk, .Philadel
phia, Baltimore, Chicago, anjjmany of
the .other large cities of the ;United
States, in the past twenty -years - the
death Vatie from tuberculosis has been
reduced . on an average pf fifty-, per
cent . It has been brought about by
means of. the campaign of - education
that was inaugurated about twenty
five -years ago, and which is today be
ing waged with greater: "yigorthan
eveirbeforei - There are many indica
tions that tuberculosis will be stamp
ed ouj by this campaign. : :' k
To qudte you the words of the cele
brated DrOsler: "A Winning Fight."
-"this is not a battle of a. year or a
generation. The : probabalities areJ
that it will take two or three genera
tions at least bef eve : we have the mor
tality from tuberculosis reduced to the
rate,' say, of typhoid' fever in well reg
ulated countries. This will probably
be a matter, -of two or three genera
tions. - Whether - tuberculosis wlir.be
finally eradicated is an open-question
It is a-foe that is deeply intrenched
in the human race, but . when we .think
of what has been don$ in one gsnera
tion, how mortality bas been reduc3d
in some localities 50 or' even 100, per
cent, we at least feel thatywe can con -
tihue the battle with hope, and so long
as We are fighting with hope; the vic
tory is in sight." ..
We are teaching the: "masses con
cerning predisposition to tuberculosis.
It is being taught that -predisposition
is divided into -three kinds individu-
aL family and dracial. Some familes
are undoubtedly more prone to tuber-
culosis than others. This is likewise-' What are the ; symptoms and' signs
true of races. Individual predisposi-: of begining tuberculosis? First, there
tion is usually brought about by im-)ss lassitude, or lack of energy. Gradu
proper living, and by excesses in eat-.ally the" appetite begins to fail until
ing and drinking, as well as by not
eating enough. It may be said to the
ladies that if they will yspend less
money on "straight fronts, hobble and
harem skirts' and buy more butter
and spread it a little thicker on their
cracker, it will be far more difficult
for the tubercle bacillus. to obtain en
tre into the' society of their tissue'! the. slight "tickling, sensation, in the
cells; and .even if an entrance is ob- throat," which at first is so slight as.
tained. it will meet with a resistance 1 not to elicit much notice on the part
so powerful that the disease can 'not of the sufferer; but slowly he acquires
develop. : . " v the habit of frequently "clearing the
Family predisposition may be due to throat." At this r 'time there is no
inherited - tendencies or to environ-1 sputum, no hard cough no Sweats, no
ment nn3erwhich the family lives. hemorrhages,- no fever nor hectic
3Cou-'.hajvjeen families in which the rfiush rThe' disease is- stilLtpo incip
Jidrere'poorly developed and- un-f ieht tcvaye, created these symptoms
lc -nourjsnea. niiu miiii huu vuii- auu sigus. . out", alter wane werg
trECtii' jehest, poor expansion ot the ( come what is' generally, called a "bad
lungs, , 'shallow . .breathing, many of cold," which remains- persistant and
of then, mouth, breathers, due either refuses-tp yield' to anti-cold treatment.
to:ndenoics or tonsil. trouble, they are Then the cough becomes marked, with
peculiarly"- prone to contract, tubercu j a thin whitish' sputum raised, 'chiefly
los'is. They should be placed In the ! in the morning" hours. The cough per
care'Of. a skilful, physician, and their - gists, the expectoration increases and
bodies built up in a way indicated byradually " changes in character;. to a
the conditions found. The ' sooner 'it thick tenacious , sputum. Later the
Is done, the easier and cheaper it will
be to correct, and the predisposition
to tuberculosis will be removed. 'En
vironment is principally a question, of
sanitation and personal hyglen. ' It re
quires but. little labor each day to keep
the hom in a sanitary condition. It
should i)e done not only to obtain bet
ter genral health for the family; but as
a matter of pride as well. x We shouiS
direct, our attention with no less de
gree of care to bodily sanitation, or
hygiene.. Proper care of the mouth,
skin, stomach, bowel and the kidneys
should 'receive careful attention; and
if it is done, many of the aches and
ills .that man is. heir to will disappear.
And with it, will disappeafthe predis
positioh 'to tuberculosis. . ' - ;
Racial predisposition seems to hinge
upon the length of time to which the
race has been exposed to the disease.
You are familiar,; doubtless? with ?the
fact that tuberculosis is very common
in the Jpdian and negro; races; and
once contracted by - them, it seems to
be morel fatal Tuberculosis was prac
tically unknown In the Indian: until
Xh" white man " brought the J disease
here. from Europe.; The mode of Jiv
ing and .the habits of the Indian up to
that' time were such Jthat the disease
had. but slight chance of a successful
attack. 'But when the white.; man
brought him- his 'fi.re 4 water" and
taught him ; to closely house himselfj
(ana otner oaa naDitsj, ana. at tne
same time -brought and V sewed . the
germ of the disease in his lands, then
he developed the disease rapidly, suc
cumbed to it easily,- because e had
no inherited immunity handed down to
him by former generations. , '
The same is true of the negro. In
the days of . slavery tuberculosis , in
the negro was almost unknown. He
was the white man's property, and received-
a care from hi? master that
kept strength, health and vigor in his
body. - But with the coming of free
dom, the negro no longer received the
care of the white man; and by his Ig
norance and poverty, he drifted ' Into
improver living, and with it came the
predisposition- to t uberculosls.v To
day there is a frightful mortality from
tuberculosis In the negro race Like
the Indian, the negro " has not the in
herited immunity, to the" disease that
the white man has ; and he contracts
and: develops 'the disease" easier and
succumbs to It more readily. . ;
We are teaching the symptoms and
signs of the" disease. he laiety' should
know them as well as the doctor. The
important reason for this is that there
may be an early recognition of the dis
ease, which Is of the gfeateptnecessity
both from the standpoint' of) "re and
prevention. Only in the incipient, or
very-early stage-is it easily curable.
yet a small percent, of the more fid-
vaficed - cases do s:et well. - A' cure of
s the already , developed cases'is essen- -
tial for the prevention of 'hew cases,
"i ...... . ' . 1
The case ot tuberculosis which . goes
about expectorating bacillus-laden
sputum, is a positive source of con
tageon to others.,- If he has the dis
ease he - shoulcl know It at the first
possible moment, so that he can at
once inaugurate an , exercise 1 of the
few simple precautjons which are nec
essary for the protection ot others. If
all cases in existance today Vouldiex
ercise . the, few known simple" precau
tions .there would soon be. ho more
tuberculosis. . -' 'v
" The tuberculosis subject is too often
the bread-winner, and if he is late In
getting the. information as to the; real;
nature of his disease, his . treatment
will of necessity cut him off from his
labor, with cessation ot his income.
Thaf usually meansgreat economy on
the part of the other members of Tiis
family, with'' a" denial of the proper
ambunt and kind of food, a consequent
improverishment of their bodies and
a greater susceptibility to the diseased
Surrounded, as they so often are by
a source of thejnf ection, the home and
environment become such- that the
weakened members of the family ' are
alomst certain to contract the "disease.
But, if that wge earner had known
early that his disease' was tuberculosis
and had sought competent medical ad-
r vice, a few weeks from his labor would
nave brought mm back to a condition
. 1 1 1 ' V I 1f 1 9
wnere ne couia . again laire ups ms
up
work,- renew, his income and drive
poverty and its fearful consequences
from his home. It is in the early stage
pif the disease that the danger of in
fecting the home is' least; while'in the
advanced stage infection is more apt
j to follow
later food becomes almost repulsive
With this . comes gradual loss of
strength and flesh, and soon a mild
grade of anaemia will be noticed.
Later there usually follows slight di
gestive disturbances -with imperfect
elimination by the several different
channels. In a little while there is
sputum becomes yellowish due to the
fact that there is a little ' pus to be
found in it, and it is then that the
xiisease is passing from the early
stage-into the more advanced -
We Will now begin to find the germ
in the sputum, and sad ' to sayl until
then the vast majority of physicians
-de not make a proper diagnosis. Now,
or later, we will have the sweats, pos
sibly, chills; and if the disease is at:
tacking the outer portion of the lungi'
we are apt to getNpleurisy. Soon- we
mayDegin to have' haemorrhages, but
inCsome cases we never have them.
The fever has sometinle since, made
.its appearance; and with it has come
the quickened- pulse. The temper
ture in the" early morning hours is
usually low, as a rule lower vthan the
normal, with It slowly , rising toward
the middle of the 'day when It goes
above normal tc? varying degrees, .de
pending on; the amount of involvment,
the virtilence of the infection ' and the
resisting dwer of the individual.-
There usually come . periods of
quiescence of the 'disease." The fever
disappears 'the heart slows down, the
expectoration becomes less or disap
pears, the cough grows -less, and the
afflicted person fergets all about it.
Then comes another "cold," more se
vere and persistent than the first one.
The patient A goes through the same
course as before, only to a mere mark
ed degree. And so it goes fron week
to week .with periods o activity and
quiesctncfi with the disease - slowly
sapping tne body of Its vitality, and in
a" little, while a .neighbor will say "Mr.
Jones ' is - sick and I am afraid he has
consumption." . Then for the first time
as' a rule, Mr. Jones seeks the advice
of the physician. He is now In the ad4
vanced stage Vf the disease. - . .
And why? t Because he has been 'al
lowing his druggist to' prescribe for
his "cold," or. has been taking the ad
vice of some one or more of his neigh
bors as to what is the best cure for a
cold, . which did not. happen to be a
cold. 'And, in the meanwhile, poor Mr.
Jones has been indiscriminately ex
pectorating bacillus-laden sputum
everywhere he went, planting sources!
of infection so that his neighbors and
L fellow- men can contract his disease.
Had he, : when- he- had his first hard
"cold,""' sought1 the advice of a com
petent physician, one that takes paths
fn" looking carefully into the" patients
;history and r makes a 'careful and
searching examination, his disease
would have . been discovered early,
and he would ' have been restored to
health by the time he finally did go to
the physician And he would not have
been spreading the disease. It has
been said that every case of tuberculo
sis .is responsible for at . least, two
otner; cases. As to that being true or
not I can not ay ; but I firmly believe
that every case like that of 'Mr. Jones'
is .responsible for at least two cases,
even if not for' more. . .
v We are teaching the people the kind
of systems that are -apt to contract
and develop tuberculosis ;' and we are
reaching the sort which are not apt to- ,
contract it. . We are teaching that men",
and women that live clean, temperate,
sanitary and sensible lives, and who
give the body the attention which' is its
due, will r stand - , the best chance
against the germ of tuberculosis". On
the, other hand, we are teaching that
drunkenness will weaken the -body sor
th at it ' is peculiarly susceptible. .. That "
privation, that is laOlc; of propet and
nourishing food, will create a condi- -tion
which can not successfully resist
the germ. That intemperate habit3,
such as excessive use of drugs, tobac
co, stimulating beveragesove.r-indul-. -
gence" of physical passions,, and the .
lacKof the propeY amount of rest, will
engender a condition which' can no
resist the germ of tuberculosis. , ,
We are teaching that tubercillosis is
a disease of the poor. While it is. true
that.the rich do have it 'yet the per
centage is low compared to that of the
poor. Poverty most" certaihly brings
about theenvironment requisite for the .
development of" the disease. Because
of this, we are teaching the necessity
for the registration of cases, so that ,
municipalities may take the necessary
steps to remove the environment which-
ls .bringmg it about, we are teacning
the necessity for dispensaries, where
the indigent consumptive may go, free
of charge, get: a careful examination v
and etet full and competent instruc-.
f tions as to hoW to live so as to get J
well and protect' others. We are
teaching the necessity for visiting
nurses, whose- duty is to go into the.
homes of the . indigent consumptive, .
teaching proper home sanitation and
hygiene". These nurses are not to ga
onlyvonce, but often, and to see that
the instructions which have been giv
en, are understood and are being car
ried out. We are teaching .the neces--sity
for, hospitals for the advanced
and hopeless cases, where they can be
isolated and removed fromtheir com
munities as a possible source of inf ec-;
tion - to others. We are teaching thee.
necessity for sanatoria, where curable . -cases
may go and regain their health.
and be instructed in the proper meth-
ods of living, to later become mis'siGn-"
aries ; in their respective communities; ;
teaching the laws of right living, san- '
itatiohand personal hygiene as it han"
been.taughtrto "them. ;t . . - ? ; -
We are Jteaching the doctrine of con-. -demnatioh
of the "sure' cure nostrum
habit." It is unanimously agreed-by-the
medical profession that vthere is -no
drug known that is a sure' cure for
consumption. Yet, there "is not one of"
Lyou who can pick up a newspaper and
not find from one to a dozen 'sure
cures" advertised, which carry with - -them
a . guarantee to cure or ; your
money back, and with it, a volume of -testimonials
to prove , their false
claims. .: . .' : ' :
The sure cure nostrum for tubercu- ,
losis may be divided into. two classes
the positively harmful and the nega
tively harmfuL ; In the first class
should be placed those nostrums con
taining opiumhasheesh,chloroform and -
any considerable quantity of alconoi. .
These drugs have never cured a single
case of tuberculosis. Stimulated by -the
alcohol, 'lulled into a feeling of im
provement and hopefulness by the
morphine. he continues his habits un-
til the final breakdown comes, from
which there is no vreclaimation. In
the other class of sure cure nostrums,
the x negatively" - harmful, , should be
placed those concoctions which, in.
themselves do no harm, but do keep
the patient away from a proper treat
ment which; may bring about a cure -or
arrest of the disease. -- 1 . '
. We believe that the school is . proba- -
bly the most hopeful i field for bur la- .
bors against tuberculosis;. For imme- ; 1
diate practical results for lowering the N -present
deathrate; hospitals, dispensa
ries and visiting nurses are probably
the- more important; but for the - v .
achievement of the final victory, the " v
school probably offers the -best oppor- ,
tunity, where we can apply ourselves -to
forming correct habits rather than '
to correcting 'bad ones. There- we ;
have the best' chance to check the
germ before it starts on its deadly wor .
There, through the education yof the
children, we can best, educate the
whole community. , At the same time
we. are teaching the -necessity for
open air shcools; schools where all
children with a predisposition to tb?
disease can be brought back to health ;
and vigor, at the same time - they . are
receiving their, education. . '
"We are tacehing the necessity for f
medical inspection of school children
It is known of children 'more espec
ially those who live, iri crowded dis
tricts that about fifty per cent of them
receive the infection before the end
of the fifth year. What shall-we -do
with them? Shal"we take charge of
them then, .'before, the infection -has
made inroads on their vitality, see
that they receive proper care and at
tention, and" reclaim them from the
disease? Or, shall we let them go on -with
the arduous duties of school life
spending, per capita, about $250 each .
year to -educate them, ' only to, have
theni die tuberculosis before they
reach the age of eighteen? It is esti
mated that over seven milliondollartf
are spent Jn" the United States each
year to educate children who will die .
xf tuberculosis before the eighteenth 7
birthday.; , That means "seven million,
dollars Wasted on education each year
in the United States; while if Ve. were -to
spend half that much , on open air '
schools and ' medical- inspection . of
1 (Continued on Page 1 )
. 4
s