Great Construction

The Account of A Widow
Pharmaceutical Fragments

     This woman, forty-five years old, was all alone, her husband having died three years previously. She had sought to live with one of her relatives, but none of them would have anything to do with her. And this was the cause. Several years before, due to pulmonary tuberculosis the woman had presented with a pale complexion, had been very skinny, and had certainly looked as if she suffered from tuberculosis. She was in a dilemma and did not know what to do. I heard about her and felt sorry for her, so I brought her into my home and had her help with kitchen work. As time passed, she became healthier and passed each day with joy and appreciation.
     So far, this is a very ordinary account, but actually there is an important point I want to make here. Just hearing the word “tuberculosis” raises in most people fears of infection and leads to efforts to keep away from those labeled tubercular, but I am not concerned with such fears at all, and rather, had put her in the kitchen assisting with the preparation of meals, so most people would think me crazy. But as someone who knows with certainly that tuberculosis is not infectious, it was only the usual step for me to take.
     The tragic reality described above is one to be found in all reaches of society. There is nothing more pitiful than those who, having come down with tuberculosis, fall into the sad fate of having no one want to be around them as well as suffering from the disease itself. I would hope that medical science discovers as soon as possible the principle that tuberculosis is not infectious as can be seen in episodes such as the one recorded above. It need not be overstated how fortunate human beings would be just by this discovery alone.

Hikari, Issue 33, October 29, 1949
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