The age-herald., 1898-08-09
CONSUMPTION
 KILLS A MILLION

| l England recently met to consider the ques- l tion of establishing hospitals to which poor persons or those of moderate means can | go for treatment. Another meeting is an- l nouneed for the purpose of beginning the work of raising funds for this purpose How necessary it is the London Telegraph 1 tells, as follows:
 Tt is well known that the ravages of l consumption are serious in almost all the countries of Europe, but few people, ex- eept experts, are aware how terrible is the real extent of the mortality. As matter of fact, every portion of the earth's sur face is more or less subject to tuberculo- sis except the arctic or subarctic regions, the deserts and high ranges of mountains If we come 10 precise figures, we shall find that out of the whole population of these islands one in every eleven dies of phthisis in some form or another
 "The annual tribute paid to this dreaded disease In Europe is, according to Prof. Leyden. not less than one million lives. in France the situation is worse, for there the average is as high in six; and, indeed, it has been estimated that If we take the general ranks of humanity, nearly half of the persons who live to middle age suffer have suffered from tubercular in- lection. Or we may put it In another way:
 If we add together all the dreadful mala-
 dies which infict the wretched race of
 man-typhoid, diphtheria. scarlet fever, l measles, smallpox, cholera--even when
 united they do not claim half as many vicl
 tims as those killed by phthisis.
 "There is then, no doubt of the preya-
 lence of consumption, and the next aues-
 tion is what humanity can do more than hoe haa, dnpa tor ri iteat af dtrn nA persistent a plague. The answer though it is not always clear. is fairly plain to- day. In many countries energetic attempts have been made to combat the enemy, es- pecially in America, In Germany, in Switz, erland, France and Russia. For some req son not very easy to comprehend Great Britain has Jagged behind other civilized lands, though, as we understand, this re- proach is very shortly to be removed from our midst For the belief is groing among men of science that not only is consump- tion curable, but that there are sanatoria on the face of the globe in which patients have already been treated with absolute
 and def1nitive success. Of course, the dis ease must be taken in its earlier forms; no
 one has a right to expect that any man
 or woman who has been for years subject
 to the ravages of the malignant bacillus of
 consumption can easily, or perhaps ever,
 get rid of the enemy.
 But the point of importance to our pop
 ulation is that consumption, if dealt with early enough can be averted or disarmed
 by treatment which sounds, perhaps, al-
 most too simple and elementary, The one
 great and essential remedy Is air combiped
 with sunshine-bright sunshine, fresh air.
 Hence for the ideal santiarium, such as
 can already be found in full working, both
 T-a ,at,tk tko nn.4dt tana
 are: O A well-arranged building with a
 southern aspect; @ dry, pure, well-
 drained subsoil; (S) a pure atmosphere, witp
 abundance of sunlight; (D a garden well
 protected from the wind and (5) sheltefed
 verandahs, galleries and arbors facing tha
 sun. Naturally to these must be added
 such indispensable requisites as an adey
 quate nursing staff and constant super
 vision by medical men. But 1t is the less
 necessary to insist on these last points, be-
 cause they would be equally applicable to
 any and every home or establishment deA
 voted to the cure of disease.
 .'There is a general impression that high
 attitudes are needed, which makes many think of Dayos Platz and other lofty lev. els in connection with consumption but, although from theoretical point Of view an elevated station or else dry air, such as we find in deserts, is of paramount utii- ity, these things are not at all essential. Three years experience at Cromer for 1n- stance, has convinced Dr. Burton Tanning of the practieabiity and extreme useful- ness of the open-air treatment in England Moreover, a cure which has been obtained in the native country of the sufferer Is fre- quently more lasting and more assured than one effected in a foreign climate, es- pecially chosen for it's genality.
 .'When it is realized that at the present
 moment no less than quarter of a mil
 lion persons are suffering in the British isles from consumption, and when we add to this the fact well known to the medical practitioner, that the disease Is, in real sense a contagious one or if that be not the precise technical expression, that it
 can, at all events be communicated from one patient to another, in the same way
 as influenza, the problem stands before us in all it's terrible importance. It becomess in truth a national question"