People who have recovered from tuberculosis, and those in 



-. , whose family there has been a case, should 



„, , . . be specially on guard against allowing their 

 Tuberculosis , T . / ~ , . . ? 



vital resistance to become weakened. Among 



the most important causes of tuberculosis are the unsanitary 

 conditions of factory life. An overheated, un ventilated 

 workshop is certain to lower vital resistance and make the 

 worker an easy prey to the tuberculosis germ, particularly if 

 he is weakened by long hours of labor. An especially dan- 

 gerous thing about some industries is the fact that the air of 

 the workshops is full of fine particles of mineral or metallic 

 dust. These dust particles are inhaled and injure the deli- 

 cate tissues of the lung, so that tuberculosis germs find it 

 easy to grow there. The workers in some of these industries 

 — granite workers and grinders, for instance — are two or 

 three times as likely to contract tuberculosis as are people 

 who work at less dangerous trades. 



In all such places there should be special pipes with exhaust 

 fans to draw off the dust from the air. Where this cannot be 

 done, the worker should wear a respirator over his mouth, to 

 keep out the dust particles. 



Just as the tuberculosis germ fails to gain a real foothold 



T r . in the body of a thoroughly healthy person, 



_ , , . so by proper hygienic treatment it can be 

 Tuberculosis , , A .,, , ., , 



conquered even alter it has begun its work. 



There are no medicines, in the ordinary sense, that will 

 cure tuberculosis. All so-called " Consumption Cures" are 

 frauds which take the money of their victims and do them 

 immeasurable harm by wasting precious time. The cure for 

 tuberculosis is hygienic living under the advice of a compe- 

 tent physician, properly directed rest and exercise, plenty of 

 fresh air, and a sufficient amount of wholesome food. If 

 such treatment is taken early in the disease, tuberculosis can 

 generally be cured. 



The main thing is to begin the treatment of tuberculosis as 

 soon as possible. The time to put out a fire, or to control 



44 



