TUBERCULOSIS. 267 



it will suffice to empty the sputum-cup into the water- 

 closet, as the tubercle-bacilli are sure to die in putrid mix- 

 tures. In hospitals it will be best to sterilize the sputa, 

 together with other excretions, by boiling. (See Disinfec- 

 tion, Appendix.) Especial attention should be" paid to the 

 tuberculous patient out of doors. Sputum expectorated in- 

 discriminately upon the street is especially dangerous, be- 

 cause when reduced to powder, innumerable persons are 

 exposed to the liability of infection. The use of the hand- 

 kerchief to receive the expectoration is likewise not without 

 risk, because here, also, there is danger of drying and con- 

 version into dust For this reason it has been wisely re- 

 commended that tuberculous patients carry with them small 

 pocket-flasks for the reception of the expectorated matters 

 for instance, Dettweiler's spit-cup. It must, however, not 

 be overlooked that certain insurmountable difficulties stand 

 in the way of a general employment of such flasks, and that 

 a careful use of the handkerchief may yet be permitted. 



The rooms occupied by tuberculous patients should be 

 cleansed quite frequently with moist materials, in order to 

 prevent the conversion into dust of the sputum that has 

 possibly become deposited on the floor or on the furniture. 

 After the death of a tuberculous patient the rooms previ- 

 ously occupied and, besides, all articles with which he came 

 in contact should be disinfected with the same care that is 

 observed in other infectious diseases. In hospitals, prisons, 

 etc., those suffering from tuberculosis should be separated 

 from the others. 



In cases of intestinal and genito-urinary tuberculosis and 

 of tuberculous suppuration care should be taken that the 

 feces or the urine or the pus is rendered innocuous. 

 Sexual intercourse should be forbidden those suffering from 

 genito-urinary tuberculosis, as the disease may be trans- 

 mitted through the spermatic fluid. 



Finally, it may be stated that milk should never be drunk 

 unboiled, but should always be boiled before being used. 

 It is best to forbid the use of meat from a tuberculous ani- 

 mal, or at least to permit its sale only when thoroughly 

 cooked, if the disease is not strictly localized to a single 

 organ. 



Heredity of Tuberculosis. A distinction is made 

 between direct inheritance of tuberculosis the disease 

 'being transmitted as such to the offspring and indirect 



