CONSUMPTION.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17803, 30 August 1929, Page 9

CONSUMPTION.

TOLL OF THE DISEASE. LECTURE BY DR. BERNSTEIN. AN INSTRUCTIVE ADDRESS. Under the auspices of the Workers’ Educational Association, and arranged by the Women's Division of the Cambridge branch of the Farmers’ Union, an instructive lecture was delivered by Dr*> Alfred Bernstein at Cambridge, on Wednesday night. Dr. Bernstein’s subject was “Fight Against Consumption.” Mr A. N. Macky, who occupied the chair, remarked that Dr. Bernstein would be remembered by many for the splendid work he had done as superintendent of the local sanatorium. “Consumption cannot be treated medically,” said Dr. Bernstein. There was, he added, too much medicine. If what they were trying to prove were only carried out there would soon be no need for doctors. The hardest thing to contend in the great fight was to get people to .see a doctor when the disease was in its early stages. People did not like to be told they had consumption. They would often seek the advice of different medical men in the hope of finding one who would tell them that they had not got the disease. Consumption was commonest among people between the ages of 20 and 50 years, at which period they were mostly free from other diseases. Toll of Disease. Last year in New Zealand 1341 people died of cancer, but only 142 of those were under 45 years of age. In the same year 727 deaths occurred from tuberculosis, but of these 53c were under 45 years of age. In women half of all the deaths between 15 and 25 were due to tubercle, and 40 per cent, of all deaths of men between 20 I and 30 were due to the .same cause. Tuberculosis was an infectious disease and therefore preventible. Dr. Bernstein referred to the difficulties of early detection and of the frequent failure to take prompt steps for prevention. Transmission of Disease. The lecturer said that consumption was contagious and was not inherited. A healthy child might be born of a consumptive mother. Most people could stand a few germs from time to time without serious effect, but fre*quent exposure to the germ, especially under bad conditions, such as lowered vitality from other causes, allowed the poison of the germ to get the upper hand. Nature of Disease. Dealing with the nature of the disease, Dr. Eernstein said a person breathed in a number of germs, but he might have strength to destroy them, or he might get fresh doses till finally some got a foothold in the body. The germs destroyed the little part they settled in, but that, in itself, was of little importance. It was not the damage to the particular part that counted, but it was the poison they made which circulated in the system and poisoned the body. In diphtheria or pneumonia the poison either killed : the patient or he recovered, because he was able to make a counter-poison, or antidote to destroy the poison. In tuberculosis it was similar. Everybody makes an antidote to fight the poison. If the antidote was enough the patient won. Treatment. There were thousands of “cures" for consumption, said Dr. Bernstein, and fresh ones were coming out dally, so that people forgot the one and only, treatment that put a large proportion back to work and health, namely, sanatorium treatment. But people often went to the sanatorium when it was too late. A sanatorium was not meant for advanced cases, but should be used at the first manifestation of the disease. Prevention and Precautions. “To avoid tuberculosis keep in good physical condition and avoid excess and i intemperance. Live in the fresh air.” In well-ventilated places the germs were scattered and diluted and there was little fear of infection. Infection from Milk. In answer to a question at the close of his address, Dr. Bernstein said that there was danger to young children through the milk of an infected cow. There was not much danger in this respect if the milk were boiled. A hearty vote of thanks to Dr. Bernstein for his address was carried by acclamation.