Antibiotics

[Frances_iom]

the 'No spitting' was prominent on the upper deck on all buses in North West during the 1950's and at least early 60s - the major health risk however was probably asphyxiation from Woodbine smoke

[Anna]

the young must be more civilised in your part of the world - it seems to be quite common in my part of S E England (tho very unusual on the IoM) - my own take is that it is a cultural thing much more common with non-whites - I was brought up in the northwest when spitting was looked down on in disgust as I guess TB had only just been defeated post war and this was seen (rightly or wrongly) as a vector of transmission

According to a quick look at the Health Protection Agency website, TB certainly has not been totally eradicated:
The latest HPA’s annual TB report shows an increase in the number of tuberculosis cases compared to 2010, however TB cases overall have been stabilising since 2005. 8,963 cases were reported in 2011, a rate of 14.4 cases per 100,000 population.

The majority of cases were notified from urban centres, amongst young adults, those from countries with high TB burdens, and those with social risk factors for TB. As in previous years, London accounted for the highest proportion of cases in the UK (39%)

(I hope this talk of spitting and thrush is not putting people off their lunch!)

[Bryn]

(I hope this talk of spitting and thrush is not putting people off their lunch!)

Nearly made me choke on my larks' tongue sarnies!

[Anna]

Nearly made me choke on my larks' tongue sarnies!

Nearly made me spit my coffee over the keyboard! Nice one Bryn!

[amateur51]

Nearly made me choke on my larks' tongue sarnies!

I searched high & low for ortolan in the farmers' market but I've had to settle for poussin

[Flosshilde]

I remember the shock I got when, at the age of 8, we moved to Swindon and on my first bus trip in the town was confronted with a large notice at the front of the upper deck, "Spitting Prohibited". It had never occurred to me that anyone would even consider spitting in a bus. I had never seen a similar notice on a London bus.

There were 'no spitting' signs on the streets in my Berkshire home town in the sixties.

I blame the resurgence of spitting on footballers.

[Flay]

When I was young I remember seeing signs on doors saying "No hawkers" - I used to think it was referring to spitting!

TB is a major health problem in Eastern Europe. HIV Aids is also increasing its prevalence. I took this from: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...8a5SdLirSA5GEg

TB spreads from person to person via inhalation of air contaminated with TB bacilli. Contamination of air is due to invisible aerosols which carry live TB bacilli. These aerosols are produced in forced expiration, (coughing, singing etc) by patients with active, fairly extensive tuberculosis. In air, TB bacilli are carried around in invisible clouds of “droplet nuclei” which contain dried particles of excretion from respiratory tract. “Droplet nuclei” clouds may remain floating in room air for hours, keeping the air infectious for long after the TB patient left the room. The longer the patient coughed in the room the higher became the concentration of bacilli in air and the more infectious became the room air. Whoever inhaled the air also inhaled live TB bacilli. But there is an easy way to render the room noninfectious: ventilation through windows or doors after each client quickly cleans the room air. Infectious aerosols disperse in air currents outdoors where bacilli are killed by sunlight.

Tuberculosis does not spread through skin, via table surfaces, floors, telephones, books, spoons, cups, or bed clothes. By eating or drinking, it is almost impossible to become infected, because infection via stomach needs 10.000 times higher dose of bacilli than via air. TB bacilli are sensitive to heat (pasteurization, laundry at 60o), and they are readily killed by sunlight. Though mucus covered bacilli in sputum remain infectious long in the dark, normal cleaning of table surfaces and floors with water containing detergent removes visible dirt and dust, and it is a proper way of cleaning a room whether the previous visitors had TB or not.

A long known but forgotten means to minimize spread of TB and other respiratory diseases is cough
hygiene. Production of infectious aerosols is minimized by covering mouth and nose with a paper napkin
whenever coughing or sneezing....

TB is more likely to "take" in damaged lungs, so smokers for example could be more vulnerable.

[Anna]

Ha! But there is an easy way to render the room noninfectious: ventilation through windows or doors after each client quickly cleans the room air. Infectious aerosols disperse in air currents outdoors where bacilli are killed by sunlight.
And, I had a discussion with someone where I said if hospitals opened windows and let the fresh air and sunshine in we wouldn't have all these hospitals superbugs ...... and was told I was a right old-fashioned Florence Nightingale!!
Edit: I don't watch football - do they spit? Why?

[Flay]

Of course TB patients used to be nursed in beds outdoors.



I agree hospitals are too hot and stuffy. There could be a good PhD project in that!

[Anna]

I agree hospitals are too hot and stuffy. There could be a good PhD project in that!

'Ang on a mo, I'll just don me surgical scrubs and get scribbling! I reckon the reason I don't succumb to coughs and colds is that I sleep with the windows open and put on another jumper rather than the heating. Spartan is what I am!

[amateur51]

'Ang on a mo, I'll just don me surgical scrubs and get scribbling! I reckon the reason I don't succumb to coughs and colds is that I sleep with the windows open and put on another jumper rather than the heating. Spartan is what I am!

Wasn't Spartan a Terry's selection box in the 1960s?

[Bryn]

When I was young I remember seeing signs on doors saying "No hawkers" - I used to think it was referring to spitting!

And there was I thinking you might have been watching Kess and had believed the signs referred to falconers.

[french frank]

Of course TB patients used to be nursed in beds outdoors.

Yes, in our village my Sunday school teacher had a little light 'shed' built on the side of the family cottage. There she lay, with about 8 village children ranged round her bed, reciting our weekly texts ('Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I unto thee ...') - prepared me for life, that text

Anti-biotics?

[Don Petter]

I blame the resurgence of spitting on footballers.

I didn't realise that. And from the stands?

[Anna]

Yes, in our village my Sunday school teacher had a little light 'shed' built on the side of the family cottage. There she lay, with about 8 village children ranged round her bed, reciting our weekly texts ('Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I unto thee ...') - prepared me for life, that text

Anti-biotics?

Blimey frenchie. That could have come straight out of Dickens or Hardy .... brought a tear to my eye, you a little ragamuffin village urchin .... <sob> .... as you see your teacher visibly fading ....
Edit: But did she eventually get up and walk?