200 BACILLUS TUBERCULOSIS. 



veyance. He should be instructed to spit into a piece of linen 

 or muslin, or an old handkerchief or a Japanese paper nap- 

 kin, which is burnt at the first opportunity. The patient 

 may, if preferred, carry in his pocket a small wide-mouthed 

 flask, stoppered with a glass or other impervious stopper. 

 The flask may contain water or an antiseptic fluid. Dett- 

 weiler's spit-cup is especially designed for that purpose. The 

 patient should be cautioned against swallowing the sputum. 



The room occupied by tubercular patients should be aired 

 thoroughly every day, and scrubbed with soap and water, 

 followed by an antiseptic solution, at least twice a week. 

 The room should contain as little furniture and hangings as 

 possible. Plenty of sunlight should be admitted. In hos- 

 pitals, asylums, and prisons it is possible to isolate the tuber- 

 cular patient. Each patient should have his own set of 

 dishes, and anything coming in contact with the patient or his 

 excreta should either be thoroughly disinfected or destroyed 

 by burning. After his demise the room occupied by him 

 should be disinfected with formalin vapor. 



The excreta of cases of intestinal or genito-urinary tuber- 

 culosis should receive the same care as the sputum in pul- 

 monary tuberculosis. The patient should not be allowed to 

 use the same toilet as the other members of the family. The 

 feces and urine should be voided into vessels containing water, 

 and then be disinfected with lime, or formalin, or sulphate 

 of copper. Sexual intercourse should be abstained from 

 entirely by persons suffering from genito-urinary tuberculosis. 



Notification of the health authorities of every case of tuber- 

 culosis would do much to prevent spread of the disease. The 

 cases could be watched, and inspectors could visit them from 

 time to time and instruct them in the principles of disinfec- 

 tion so far as pertains to the individual case. 



The careful inspection of cattle carried out by the govern- 

 ment has made infection from the ingestion of tuberculous 

 meat or milk less common than was the case before these 

 preventive measures were adopted. In fact, the only positive 

 safeguard against infection through meat or milk is never 

 to partake of any meat or milk unless it has been thoroughly 

 cooked. 



