Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1893-11-16

state Boafd OF Health IN placing con-
sumption on the list of contagious dis
eases and requiring safeguards to pre-
Vent its spread, is causing widespread
newspaper discussion as to the propri-
ETY. ue similar action in other states.
Not only has the Michigan Board of
Health taken this radical step, but the
County Medical Society, of rhiladel-
phia, has petition the Board of Health
there to isolate consumptives. The
Pan-Amcrican Congress also passed a
| resolution at the recent Washington
convention calling on the national gov
eminent to take steps in the same di-
rection even going SO far MS to ask
| President Cleveland to give his per-
sonal attention to the matter,
| The result has been that national,
state and civic authorities have been
appealed TO, thereby causing conster-
nation to thousands of consumptives in
! every state in the union. who are in
terror lest they should be torn from
their homes and friends, and turned
over to especial hospitals" which, in
reality, will be pcsthouses.
The turmoil which the proposition
has created is steadily increasing, and
a great wave OF opposition is APP
| pearing.
Friends of consumptivcs declare that
if isolation of the patients is attempted
in special hospitals, numerous outrages
! will result and that not only will un-
feeling persons who want to get rid of
sick relatives, dump them upon the
hospitals, but Vaccinations will arise
of Il most evil character, Small trades
men, for instance, afflicted 10y Il cough
may suddenly find themselves moved
out of their competitors way, by u jul
dicial process which will send them to
the special consumptive hospital to
end their days.
Some of them declare that while the
appearance of smallpox or cholera in
! the land is the signal for immediate,
| widespread alarm and the Inaugural
ton Of severe repressive measures, con-
! sumption, which is always present and
is chronically epidemic, is allowed to
take an unchecked course, the people
not realizing that it is far more deadly
than any other disease, and is slowly
but surely increasing its silent ravages.
II is claimed that rs half of the people
Who have consumption do not realize
tls fact they spread n false confidence
a nong their friends, who careleSsly
allow themselves to come in contact
with the victims, and are, in turn,
fatally infected.
The Herald, commenting on this sub
ject, quotes the action of the Congress
dc In Tubercnlose. recently held in
Paris, in which the following resolution
was adopted:
I'm view of the fact that lie in COM
mon of consumptives with the other
patients in the hospitals is disadvan
tageous both to themselves and others,
and that the risks that they run and to
which they expose others are not com
pcnsated by any serious profit, the
members of the Congress are of the
opinion that all consumptive patients
should be gathered together in special
hospitals i'll groups, according to the
period of their disease, aud that these
groups should be Us small as possible
at the earliest stage of the complaint.
I'm consideration of the fact that in
the present condition of the science a
continuous and sufficient supply OF
pure air is one of the most powerful ell
ements in the treatment Of tuberculosis,
it is also advisable that these hospitals
should be built in the country or at the
seashore.
FINALLY, as a transitory measure. to
last as short a time as possible, con-
sumptives should for he ime being,
be united in special wards in the hos
pitfalls, apart from those of the other
patients, and the walls and furniture
of these wards should be disinfectel AT
stated intervals"
Another scheme for the isolation of
consumptivcs, which has just been an
nounced by the Denver (Colo.) News,
is to the effect that w. N. Byers, rep
resenting syndicate of Boston CAPT.
talis,s, has applied at tie Office of the
Colorado land commissioner for Sec
tions of land on which to colonize con
sumptives from New England. The
idea is to erect suitable buildings and
put the patients ut gentle work, at
tending TO fruit and poultry, bee cul-
ture and gardening, insisting, all the
time, upon suitable physical exercise.
The idea is that patients in the first
stages of consumption might be bcnc-
1;ted in the mild, dry mir Of Colorado
and that their light labors might be
turned to the peeuniary advantage OF
the syndicate.
The Post over a year ago interested
itself in the question of the cause oi
consumption and he possibility Of its
cure. Since that time many other
newspapers have devoted attention to
the subject.
Recent statistics, carefully gathered
have shown that one-seventh of all the
deaths in the United States from dis.
ease are caused by consumption, and
this startling fact, promin nt!y pre-.
scented has served TO increase the agi.
tation which has been aroused
In order to get at the opinions OF
the leading physicians of Cincinnati on
the latest aspect of the case, j. e., that
relating to the proposed isolation OF
consumptives. interviews were secured
with Drs Whitaker, Judkins, Amicls
Drumming and others.
DIR. William Judliins said: II thor.
oughly believe in the scheme for the
isolation of consumptive patients The
best plan is to take the patient out OF
his home and put him in u house speci
ally built for consumptives. The idea
may seem harsh one, but it is certain
ly in the interests of friends of the
sufferer. The great trouble with the
project would be TO get patients in th,
first stages of the disease to go to sucl
re treat. Most of them don't believe
that they have consumption, and yor
can not convince them to the con
trary,"
DIR. Whitaker was averse to talking
on the subject, but finally said: II dc
not approve of the isolation project
simply because / do not think it would
do any practical good. Isolation, the
taking away of Il consumptive from his
home and friends, would be rather in
human"
sis every case of consumption the re-
suit of contact with some other case, OF
is the disease sometimes sporadic, like
cholera?n
mo. There is no such thing as spo-
radio consumption. 1t is not even an
inherited disease. Every case owes It's
origin to communication. Many eases
of consumption are contracted at bed
sides. One patient can give it to
twenty well persons. Strong men,
with no disposition that way, get it.
L.. e 4.