Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-04-08
FOR CONSERVATIVES
Plans Of the Marine Hospital Service
for the Sanitarium.
ISOLATION OF PATIENTS
DR.. J. A. Cobb Ordered to Go to the Fort
Stanton Reservation in Lincoln County
to Prepare the Building.

DR.. j. O. Cobb, n of the most emf
nent psychologists in the Marine Hos
pital corps service and an expert on tu-
berculosis, has been ordered to the old
Fort Stanton military reservation,
which, by presidential order, has be-
COM the property of the Marine Hos
pital corps, to make arrangements for
fitting the: place up as a %sanitarium for
consumptives in the marine service. DIR.
Cobb will remain in charge of the SAM
tarium.
The reservation is situated 5000 feet
above the level of the sea. 1t is one of
the best places which could be found in
the country for a s~anitarium for con-
sumptives.
In an interview with a st. Louis
Globe-Democrat reporter, Surgeon Gen.
eral Wyman gave the following state
ment as to the aims of the department:
THE establishment of the sanitarium
for consumptives in the marine service
is a matter which I have had in mind
for many years. Some years ago, when
DR.. Bratton, Of our corps, was stricken
with consumption and went to New
Mexico to regain his health, / instructed
him to prepare a report upon the benefit
of the New Mexico climate to consump-
tives, and also to make an examination
of all the government property in the
territory which there was any chance
of the marine corps securing for a sani-
tarium for consumptives, giving his
opinion about the different sites. He
made an exhaustive report upon the
subject, and agitation began for the do
nation of some government reservation
in New Mexico to the Marine Hospital
corps to be used as a sanitarium for
consumptives.
We could MOI have a better location
than the old Fort Stanton military res
ervation affords. 1t is ideal for the
purposes which we have in view. We
will go to work to establish the SANTA
rum without delay. DR.. Cobb has al
ready received his orders to set out for
the reservation and look after the get
ting of things into shape for the early
reception of patients. AS soon as every
thing is in readiness we will remove to
the reservation all of the consumptive
patients which we O. have in the diff
ferent marine hospitals of the country.
There are thirty-eight stone and adobe
buildings on the reservation, and we be-
lieve they can be fitted up for SANTA
rum purposes without n great ex-
pense.
you may say that this movement to
isolate all of our consumptive patients
in a sanitarium, located in a country
affording special climatic advantages to
such sufferers, is in line with the move
ment which is now going on all over
the world to suppress consumption. Tu-
berculosis, or consumption, is probably
the greatest enemy of the human race.
Some medical statisticians assert that
rs per cent of all deaths are due to this
dread disease. This percentage is prob
ably a little high, but we know the real
percentage is sufficiently high to be ap-
palling.
Consumption is a contagious disease.
The isolation of those suffering from it
is, therefore, of advantage to those who
are not so afflicted, as we'll as to those
who are. I believe there is o pend
ing before the New York legislature a
proposition to establish a state SANTA
,;,,,., fry, ,Ntttyoc In {1o A Jiscn-
dacks. A sanitarium for consumptives
has been established just outside Of
Chicago, and a similar institution has
been established just outside of Phila-
delphia. In England and, in fact, in all
European countries, the isolation Of
consumptives is now being advocated,
and sanitariums are being established
for that purpose.
Something must be done to check
the ravages of this terrible scourge.
Most of our marine hospitals are situat-
ed close to the water, and the climate,
being damp, is not advantageous to
sufferers from pulmonary troubles. The
dry climate Of New Mexico is just the
thing for them. The wonders worked
by this climate upon people afflicted
with tuberculosis have long been ac-
knowledged by physicians generally.
LAS soon as everything is made in
readiness at the Fort Stanton reserva-
ton we will order the removal there of
all the consumptive patients which we
now have in the different marine hos
pitfalls of the country. We will provide
those who are able with work, and our
kaim will be to keep them outdoors as
Much as possible"
do YOU contemplate pursuing any
special line Of treatment"
We'll, not exactly. We will have en-
inent psychologists at the ~sanitarium,
and all that science can do to assist ma
ture will be done. 1t is my intention
to see that the most careful records are
kept, and these will be published for
the benefit Of the scientific world"