The hygienic prevention of consumption.

  • Squire, J. Edward (John Edward), 1855-1917.
Date:
1893
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The hygienic prevention of consumption. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    usefulness. The acute infectious fevers, scarlet fever, measles, whooping-cough, &c, still cause a high mortality, but in these the duration of illness is limited, and a large propor- tion of those affected are attacked during childhood : recovery with immunity from a second attack is the rule, and per- manent incapacity for work in after-life is comparatively rare. Study of these diseases has however shown that their spread depends upon conditions which may be controlled by proper precautions, and the State has wisely framed regula- tions by means of which the prevalence of infectious diseases has already been lessened, and their mortality greatly diminished. Consumption, however, remains a national plague: it is credited with causing about one-tenth of all the deaths which occur in this country every year, or about the same proportion that small-pox snowed a hundred years ago. The greatest mortality from consumption occurs during the ages when bodily vigour should be at its best; and the disease, when not fatal, runs a prolonged course, and frequently causes permanent incapacity for labour. According to the latest report of the Registrar-General, the deaths from consumption during the year 1890 in England amounted to 48,366, and of these a large majority occurred between the ages of fifteen and forty-five—that is, during the working period of life. Till comparatively recent times consumption was con- sidered incurable; and though we now recognise its cura- bility under favourable conditions, we are still unable to check its advance in a majority of cases. Here, then, is a disease which pre-eminently appeals to preventive medicine —its prevalence is appalling, its ravages great, and its cure uncertain. If consumption can be shown to be dependent in any degree upon causes which are within human control, and thus in some measure preventible, there is no more worthy object for preventive medicine ; and with the encour- agement afforded by past successes against other plagues, Ave may hopefully anticipate a marked diminution in the death-rate from consumption. But is consumption dependent upon conditions which may be controlled ? There are still many who consider the dampness and
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