T.B. INSPECTION.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18100, 16 June 1924, Page 8

T.B. INSPECTION.

SUFFERERS TRAVELLING BY STEAMER.,

CAREFUL DISINFECTION NECESSARY.

"The statement by the Canterbury Medical Officer of Health that pulmonary tuberculosis s is not dangerous in certain stages contains enough truth to be misleading," remarked a medical practitioner to a reporter on Saturday when referring to a paragraph which appeared in the ,same day's issue of "The Press" detailing the steps taken, by the Health authorities to disinfect the cabins on board ship which have been occupied by persons suffering from tubercular trouble. "The Very early stage of, pulmonary tuheronlosis," the doctor continued, "is difficult to detect by even a specialist and may not show bacilli in the sputum. There are, probably, many people in that state, but that can be said of other diseases. Where yre know that a man is suffering from T.B. alt reasonable precautions should be taken to protect his neighbours. The confined sleeping place on a ship is highly conducive to spreading infection. If the cabin were dismantled and the carpets, blankets, etc., sterilised and the walls and floor disinfected, it would be all right.- When pulmonary T.B. is able to be diaghosed, i.*;, .wheh an abscess has formed—tubercle-taalli are being constantly ejected at every cough., The dry cough is 'not dry, as you may prove by putting a glass in front of the mouth at the time, Many of the fine globules of secretion on that glass will Be found, to contain tubercle liacilli. m ■ , "People suffering from T-B. should be earned on the deck from Wellington to Pioton—a few hours' journey—and "travel by open motor-oar to their destination in this island, or vice versa. This entails no hardship; in fact it should be a more pleasant transportation, " , "We «ire all too careless about infection from tuberculosis. While many cases may become infected from milk, it is the opinion of the great authorities that pulmonary tubercular infection nearly always comes from another victim. The infection arises through inspiration of dust, or drier of sputum, carrying the bacilli. Whether the original site of intectioft is in the body is now again exorcising the> minds of specialists, but that need not' affect our contention." ' :