COMMUNICABLE DISEASES 375 



The following are the more important communicable diseases with 

 suggestions on prevention. The information is given for the sole purpose 

 to better qualify the pharmacist to cooperate with the health officers in 

 safeguarding the public health. 



A. Tuberculosis. Commonly known as consumption and the " white 

 plague." A universal disease, essentially infectious, especially peculiar to 

 crowded habitations and to lack of pure fresh air. The primary cause is 

 the Bacillus tuberculosis (bacillus of Koch), a non-spore-bearing microbe, 

 which is somewhat more resistant to disinfectants and other destructive 

 agencies than most other pathogenic bacteria. The chief predisposing 

 causes are living in crowded habitations 

 and inherited low vitality, especially weak 

 lungs. The disease may be general (gen- 

 eral tubercular infection) or it may be 

 localized in any one or in several organs 

 or tissues. Commonly localized in the 

 lungs (phthisis, consumption) and in 

 lymph glands. Lupus and many so-called 

 scrofulous conditions are tuberculosis of il % ^ 



the skin; the disease often attacks bones 



j . . , /T_. . . , j. r i M i \ FIG. 92. Bacillus tuberculosis. 



and joints (hip-joint disease of children). Although this organism does not 



It attacks young and old and may OCCUr f or m spores it is quite resistant to 

 ii 11 r i-r mr j the action of germicides. The 



in all walks of life. The disease enters ma bacillus causing the bovine type 

 the air passages and per mouth with food f tuberculosis differs slightly in 

 and drink. It is contracted by inhalation &, 3hS&. ** 

 through close association with consump- 

 tives, and the bovine form or type of tuberculosis is acquired from the 

 milk of tubercular cows. Bovine tuberculosis is especially liable to affect 

 the lymph glands and the joints in children, rarely in adults. 



The disease sometimes runs a quick course (quick consumption), but 

 more generally it makes an insidious start and runs a chronic course. 

 Many people have limited local infections which are only discovered at an 

 autopsy. There are many spontaneous recoveries from tuberculosis. 

 Since it is very important to begin early treatment, the physician resorts to 

 several tests for the purpose of determining the possible existence of 

 masked or incipient forms of the disease. These tests are as follows and 

 depend upon the reactions produced by tuberculins when applied to or 

 introduced into the system: 



a. The Calmette or Ophthalmo Test. Old tuberculin, precipitated by 

 alcohol is used. The precipitate is dried and made into a i per cent, solu- 

 tion in sterilized distilled water or sterile physiologic salt solution. This 

 substance is put up in sterile capillary pipettes, ready for use. A drop of 



