“Spitting Is Dangerous, Indecent, and against the Law!”: Legislating Health Behavior during the American Tuberculosis Crusade

doi:10.1093/jhmas/jrr073

Paper

“Spitting Is Dangerous, Indecent, and against the Law!”: Legislating Health Behavior during the American Tuberculosis Crusade

Published Jul 1, 2013 · J. Abrams

Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences

Q1 SJR score

29

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2

Influential Citations

Full text

Semantic Scholar

Abstract

Tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in early twentieth-century America. Reducing the sputum vector of contagion by changing public behavior initially focused on anti-spitting campaigns. According to most Progressive Era health experts, “promiscuous” spitting was a prime culprit in spreading the disease. Beginning in 1896 in New York, towns and cities throughout America passed anti-spitting legislation, sometimes creating tensions between individual liberty and the need to protect public health, and often highlighting class issues. Progressives viewed anti-spitting legislation in a favorable light because they advocated improving the health and well-being of Americans using state-of-the-art medical knowledge and because they often advocated the use of law and the coercive power of the state to impose order on society.

Study Snapshot

Key takeawayAnti-spitting legislation during the American Tuberculosis Crusade aimed to reduce sputum vectors and promote public health, balancing individual liberty with the need to protect public health.

PopulationOlder adults (50-71 years)

Sample size24

MethodsObservational

OutcomesBody Mass Index projections

ResultsSocial networks mitigate obesity in older groups.

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“Spitting Is Dangerous, Indecent, and against the Law!”: Legislating Health Behavior during the American Tuberculosis Crusade

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