In advanced consumption, the cheeks are hol- low, the bones prominent, the skin arid, the nose sharpened and drawn, the eyes sunken, there is a most afflicting cough, sore throat, difficult deglutition, and feeble, whispering voice, or entire extinction of the voice. Consumption is certainly one of the most destructive of diseases. About one-fourth of all deaths occurring in the human family during adult life is caused by it, and nearly one-half of the entire population at some time in life acquires it. It has been proven beyond a doubt that a living germ, called the tubercle bacillus, is the cause and the only cause of consumption. It does not seem necessary to state the facts upon which this assertion is based, for the observation first made by Robert Koch in 1882 has been confirmed so often and so completely, that it now constitutes one of the most absolutely demonstrated facts in medicine. When the living germs find their way into the lungs, they multiply there, if favorable conditions for their growth exist, and produce small new growths or nodules (tubercles) which tend to soften. The discharge from these softened tubercles, con- taining the living germs, are thrown off from the body. These discharges constitute, in part, the expectoration. The 20 3o6 The Family Doctor germs thus thrown off do not grow outside the living body, except under artificial conditions, although they may retain their vitality and virulence for long periods of time, even when thoroughly dried. As tuberculosis (or consumption) can only result from the action of these germs, it follows that when the disease is acquired, it must result from receiv- ing into the body the living germs that have come from some other human being, or animal affected with the disease. It has been abundantly established that the disease may be transmitted by meat or milk ftom the tubercular animals. The milk glands in milch cows often become affected with the disease when their lungs are involved, and the milk from such animals may contain the living germs, and is capable of producing the disease. Among stall-fed dairy cows, twenty or thirty per cent, are sometimes found to be affected with the disease. Tubercular animals are also frequently killed for food; their flesh sometimes contains the germs, and if not thoroughly cooked, is capable of trans- mitting the disease. Boiling the milk, or thoroughly cooking the meat destroys the germs. Consumption is commonly produced by breathing air in which living germs are suspended as dust. The material which is coughed up, sometimes in large quantities, by persons suffering from consumption, contains these germs often in enormous numbers. This material, when expecto- rated, frequently lodges where it afterward dries, as on the streets, floors, carpets, clothing, handkerchiefs, etc. After drying, in one way or another, it is very apt to become pulverized and float in the air as dust. The observations made by prominent physicians have shown that where there are cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, under ordinary con- ditions, the dust surrounding them often contains the tubercle bacilli and persons inhaling the air in which this dust is suspended may be taking in the living germs. How- The Family Doctor 307

AI-modernized reading of the original text

In advanced consumption, the cheeks are hollow, the bones prominent, the skin arid, the nose sharpened and drawn, the eyes sunken, there is a most afflicting cough, sore throat, difficult deglutition, and feeble, whispering voice, or entire extinction of the voice. Consumption is certainly one of the most destructive of diseases. About one-fourth of all deaths occurring in the human family during adult life is caused by it, and nearly one-half of the entire population at some time in life acquires it. It has been proven beyond a doubt that a living germ, called the tubercle bacillus, is the cause and the only cause of consumption. It does not seem necessary to state the facts upon which this assertion is based, for the observation first made by Robert Koch in 1882 has been confirmed so often and so completely, that it now constitutes one of the most absolutely demonstrated facts in medicine. When the living germs find their way into the lungs, they multiply there, if favorable conditions for their growth exist, and produce small new growths or nodules (tubercles) which tend to soften. The discharge from these softened tubercles, containing the living germs, are thrown off from the body. These discharges constitute, in part, the expectoration. The 3o6 The Family Doctor germs thus thrown off do not grow outside the living body, except under artificial conditions, although they may retain their vitality and virulence for long periods of time, even when thoroughly dried. As tuberculosis (or consumption) can only result from the action of these germs, it follows that when the disease is acquired, it must result from receiving into the body the living germs that have come from some other human being, or animal affected with the disease. It has been abundantly established that the disease may be transmitted by meat or milk from the tubercular animals. The milk glands in milch cows often become affected with the disease when their lungs are involved, and the milk from such animals may contain the living germs, and is capable of producing the disease. Among stall-fed dairy cows, twenty or thirty per cent, are sometimes found to be affected with the disease. Tubercular animals are also frequently killed for food; their flesh sometimes contains the germs, and if not thoroughly cooked, is capable of transmitting the disease. Boiling the milk, or thoroughly cooking the meat destroys the germs. Consumption is commonly produced by breathing air in which living germs are suspended as dust. The material which is coughed up, sometimes in large quantities, by persons suffering from consumption, contains these germs often in enormous numbers. This material, when expectorated, frequently lodges where it afterward dries, as on the streets, floors, carpets, clothing, handkerchiefs, etc. After drying, in one way or another, it is very apt to become pulverized and float in the air as dust. The observations made by prominent physicians have shown that where there are cases of pulmonary tuberculosis, under ordinary conditions, the dust surrounding them often contains the tubercle bacilli and persons inhaling the air in which this dust is suspended may be taking in the living germs. How- The Family Doctor 307

The century cook book