Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

I TUF, CAMl'AIGN AGAINST
I CONSUMPTION.
Tins sittings of the Ttthorculosis Inter-
smtioiini Congress which have just
ision hclil in London deserve tins
widest publicity, inarking, ns they
mv, iuu iuuu uuiupieto steps yet tnbOD
in the ctunpiiign against thsit terrible
disenso, which is recognised us one of
tlio most powerful and destructive
enemies of tho human species.
J'ho Congress i3 of special inte-
rest to Australians, inasmuch as that
disease hits obtained a remarkable
hold in theso Southern lands. Con
sumption claims moro victims in the
colonies timn any other disease, but,
fortunately, tho dentil rates are lower
tbnn in the other countries of tho
world. Our eminent Statistician (Mr.
Coghhiu), referring to this fact, ro-
nuirks : — " This is nil tho more
" pleasing when it is considered that
" the Australian climate is undoubtedly
«.u, s, puupiu .luiiunng irouT
" pulmonary complaints, and that
" tlierchy many persons afilicted with
" the disease, or predisposed to it, are
" attracted to this country in tho hope
" of obtaining relief. It is estimated
" that of the total number who die
" from phthisis, only seven per cent do
" 90 after less than iivo years residence
" in the colonies." A glance at tho
Aastralnsian statistics shows tho heavy
mortality of this disease for the past
20 years. For the live years ending
1880 there wore 111, 795 deaths from
consumption in tiro seven colonies.
For the live years ending 1885 the
number had increased to 18,8111, and
ill the succeeding live years they well!
up to 20,885 deaths. For tho iivo
years ending lyOij tho number was
llltnilt. tlin onimi -It On lu>i -t
anil,
considering tho increased population
in that period, the figures for tho period
showed that tho mortality from tho dis
ease was decreasing. Tho complete
figures for tho live years ending
1800 aro not yut avaiiablo, l,ut,
taking the average tor tho first
four years, thoy will not show
a largo incrcnso, if .nny. Taking
tho respective colouios, Victoria heads
the list as regards tho total number of
deaths Irom tiiis ilrcad disease. It
has been more prevalent there than in
the other Southern colonies. For ex-
umpju, in me iivo years euihng 1805
there wore 7751 deaths from consump
tion in Victoria, ns against 5198 in
New South Wales. Tho only colony
that over disputed with Victoria- the'
iinonvinblo reputation cf paying tho
heaviest mol.. hill for coiisuiiip-
tjgnAuM|Hto h'' population,
Queensland,
up
expressive words — " Kanaka Labor."
For tho live years ending 1875 the
Victorian death rate from this disease
was the heaviest, but ill 1880 Queens
land hud crept up almost level. For
the iivo years ending 1885, when it
will bo recollected tho Kanaka mor
tality was most excossivo, tho Queons-
IuiiiL deatii rate ftoin consumption
considerably exceeded Victorin, lioing,
during that period, 17.81 per 10,009
liviug, its against 11.10 in Vic
toria) 11.11 in New South Wales,
10.715 iu Tasmania, 10.90 in
South Australia, ' and 9.15 in
New Zealand. For tho five years
ending 1 1890 the Queensland death
late had again dropped back to slightly
behind Victoria. The decennial period,
ending 1900, shows a considerable im
provement ill favor of Queensland,
and during that period the Kanaka
deatii rate also considerably decreased.
Coghlau, speaking on the Queensland
death rate, remarks : — " Phthisis has
" always been most prevalent in Vic-
" toria) hilt the death rate in Quoons-
" laud is rather high, owing- to the
"peculiar liability of natives of the
" l'ucrlic Islands to succumb to attacks
" of tho disease. Tho returns show
" that the deaths from consumption
" of those persons in Queensland are
" oat of nil proportion to their num-
" her in the population. Western
: " Australia lias, on iho whole, had tho
; " lowest rate, and at. the present time
j " the deatii rate is little more than half
' " that of Victoria. New'Kouth Wales,
" Tasmania, and Now Zealand also
" show satisfactory rates." Wo be
lieve tlftit if the Knnakft dentil rate was
eliminated Queensland would show up
as well as the host of tho other colonics
in this respect. Tho total death rate
from consumption in Australasia is
about 9.27 per 10,090 living, which is a
lower mortality rate than of any other
country. In England tho rate is about
18. On the whole, the mortality rate
for Australasia from this disease shows
a doclino of recent years— tho result of
i (he most skilful treatment, consequent
on the careful study which )ms been
made of the disease here lis elsowhere.
Still, the fact remains that consump
tion carries off every year over -1000
Australians, so that any measures
which may succeed in largely dimi
nishing this number will bo hailed as
a great .blessing. Hence to us the
proceedings of the International Con-
gross tlint has just concluded its sit
tings in London is of tho utniust import
ance. As last Katurdav's Molbourne
" Age " remarks in a very interesting
article, which we reprint this morning :
— " That Congress marks the beginning
' of tho real campaign against cou-
" sumption." Of course medical science
lias always been lighting consumption
more or less, but up to now tho effort
lias been more individual than collec
tive. Modern discoveries have re-
diiced the death rate from it in most
countries, but it is still estimated
that fully onoscvcnth of the
human rnco have fallen victims to
it. Tho " Age's " article gives an
interesting synopsis of tho modern in
dividual effort which lias resulted so
largely in tho saving of human life,
proper prominence lioing given to Dr.
Koch's magnificent opochlnaking dis
covery of the bacillus of tuberculosis.
Tho now generally aeeeptcd fact that
tho dread disease is not hereditary is
duly emphasised and confirmed by the
cable which wo published ill Tuesday's
issue to the effect that Professor Vir-
ehow, tho veteran Gorman pathologist,
and l'rofossor Hiiolmor, who are at-
tending tho Tuberculosis Congress in
London, agree that-tubcrculosis is not
a lioremtary tusenso, Uut they dissent
from the theory advanced by Professor
Koch that bovine tuberculosis is not
traiisiiiissililo to human beings. Tho
latter is also it most important point,
and of particular intorcst to us in Aus
tralia where bovine tuberculosis is so
prevalent. We should bo very pleased
to accept tho theory of the great Koch
oil tho subject, but then whore such
great scientists differ tho unpleasant
doubt will ulwnys remain ; - and in this
respect tho old ndngo, " Prevention is
hotter than cure " comes in. Apart
from this there aro many other vexed
points in connection witli tuberculosis
winch the Congress may be the means
of clearing up, and in nny enso we
may expect that 0110 of its results will
lie a systematic organisation of the
campaign against tho disease in the
sluipo of provontivo and remedial
measures which should ho made com
pulsory by law in nil countries. Most
of us nro apt to look too lightly upon
this mnsfc ilt'onilnil mill ficcnuJiitllw n/»i.
tagious disease. It is our fashion now
and then to raise a "scare " about
somo diseases which aro not nearly as
wide-spread or ns fatal in their offccls.
Probably it is a ease of tho old story
that "familiarity breeds contempt,"
hut if wo looked ut it in tho proper
-light we, individually and collectively,
should net very differently. Our local
authorities particularly, not only in
Queensland hut nil tho world over,
have been very remiss in this matter,
and it is to bo hoped that one result of
tile Congress will lie tho initiation of
measures everywhere which will make
this apntliy impossible. As will ho
seen l,y our enblo messages this morn
ing tho delegates unanimously recom
mend tho suppression of spitting in
niltllic ulfirofi- Hin n\-li.ncimi /it ilto
compulsory notification 'regarding
phthisis, tile establishment of sana
toria, and that a special inspection lie
made of all markets and dairies. All
theso are mutters of tho first import
ance. The first-named is one of tho
most dangerous methods of sprra.ling
contagion, and one of tho most diffi
cult to guard against. A suppression
of tho widely practised habit of -ex
pectoration in tho streets, railway car
riages, trains, and other public places
is badly required, though it is difficult
io roc how it can be effectively pro-
Ixtl.tfn.l mi T .,«? S
iMiti. xxiu cuiujmisory uoiuication
of tbcdiscaso is more essential in coil-
sumption than in many other diseases
where such is in use. Australia has
already made an excellent departure
in the establishment of sanatoria and
also in places as regards market and
dairy inspection, though u mora rigid
djslnm as regards the latter is needed
in Queensland,
Anothor._dendly constitutional dis
ease, which also requires attention as
well as consumption, is cancer, and
tho recommendations of the Con-
gross are, in many respects, very
applicable to preventing the spread
of this disease ns well. There
is a most pathetic intorcst at
taching to the words used by bis
-Majesty tho King last Thursday when
he received the foreign delegates to tho
Congress at Marlborough House. lie
oxprossed tho keenest intorcst iu tlioir
work, and hoped good results would
accrue therefrom. ' There is one"
other terrible disenso," added his Ma
jesty, "I refer to cancer. God grant
" that before long yoit will be able to
" find n euro, or to check its. course !
" Tho discoverer would deserve a
" statue to his memory in nil 'the i
" capitals of the world." So ho
would. Onr King speaks feelingly on
tho subject, for, unfortunately, bis
family has not been exempt from tho
ravages of this foil disease. As is well
known, it exists in tho three lending
Eoyal houses of Europe, and lias
claimed more than 0110 Royal victim of
Into years. It is rife in tho Royal
pnlnco ns well as in tho peasant's
cottage. In Australia cancer is
rapidly becoming ns formidable
as consumption, nnd is now respon
sible for very nearly 8000 deatlis
per annum." Tho-Now Zealand and
Victorian death ratos from cancer are
tho highest, aud Queensland wo are
pleased to sny, comes next to West
Australia as tho lowest. - Un-
liko consumption, the death rate
from cancer is steadily rising of
late years in all tho colonies. For ex
ample, in Queensland it lias increased
from 0.97 of the total deaths in 1875
to 8. -10 in 1898 ; in Victoria from 2.08
to -1.90; and in Now Zealand from
1.67 io 9.19; while tho death rate for
10,000 living has increased in Queens
land from 1 .7-1 to -1.88; in New Zea
land from 2.11 to 6.80 ; and in Vie-'
toria from 8.29 to 0.94. Thus it will
be seen that the spread of cancel- in
Australasia Is of late yoars more of a
dread reality than ovon consumption,
and it is to ho feared chat a great deal
of that spread is duo to tho neglect of a
proper sysleni of market inspection, ns
regards cancocous moat, olc. Herein
lies again tho value of tho Tuborculosis
Congress recommendations.
$