Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-01-12
TO CURE CONSERVATIVES.
Dr.. Young Believes in Establishing ;
State Sanitarlum.
He Cites the Cases Where Such Institutions
Have Done Good.

III. -. W. lOdii@ VI 49, h'Ns'eN 80 "a
of health. is a man who has studied
consumption prevention and cure for
years. 1t is one Of his pet studies as
he believes it is one of the greatest, if
not the greatest, sources of danger to
the American people of ANYTHING in the
way of infection that exists. He can
cite figures that 90 to show how many
more people die of the disease than Of
anything else and yet people continu"
to live in a house with a consumptive
patient thinking little more of it than
as though the patient was dying OF
some disease that is in no way COM
municable from one person to another.
An idea that the doctor has is stat
sanitarium for the cure of consump-
tives and the Journal gives some of the
ideas he sets forth in his last edition
of the Sanitary Inspector:
The beneficial influence Of a state
slnitarium would be manifold Aside
from the direct rescuing of lives, 1t
would indirectly save other thousands
When, instead of letting a person die
of consumption in his own nome, ne IS
given chance to so to sanitarlum.
one home is saved from becoming
focus of infection. Whether he IS per
manently cured or improved so that ne
may go back to his work. he returns III
most cases as a sanitary missionary
He has had drilled into him certain
precepts relative to precautions against
the spread Of his infection. and these
he inculcates into the minds Of the oth-
er members of the family. Even II
his case must eventually have a fatal
ending his family is much less endan-
gcred as a result of the sanitarium in
fiuence.
Not only are successive crops Of
consumptives prevented bv sanitarium
influence and treatment. but the les
scning of the prevalence of human con-
sumption tends to diminish bovine tu
berculosis While recogniZing the dan
ger that may come 10 man in the us
of tuberculous milk and meat the re
ciprocal danger which threatens ami
mails associated with cOnsumptive hu-
man beings, or tended by them. should
not be overlooked. The diminution of
human tuberculosis NAV not be the
best way to lessen the prevalence %
bovine tuberculosis: neither are at
tempts to stamp out bovine tuberculo-
sis the most rapid and economical way
to free mankind of the disease.
The most desirable and promising
place for the treatment of the vast
majority of our cases of consumption
is right here in our own State. Whether
their treatment is carried out at their
own homes or in sanitaria. The open
air treatment under medical control is
by far the most important method Of
treating tuberculosis known at the
present time Medical treatment. IN
disDrnsable at times in many cases. Is
Of minor value. The breathing Of fresh
air day and night. summer and winter,
is the chief thing. and here in Maine
fresh air is in abundance. The cold
ness OF the air in winter is an incon-
venience. but therapeutically il is m
advantage. AT the sanitalia in IN
Adirondacks. on the highlands Of sui
livan county. New York. and in Cen
tral Massachusetts. the patients pre-
Cress more rapidly toward recovery II
the winter than at other seasons Of the
year.
During a visit. last summer, to the
Massachusetts Sanitarium for con-
sumptives at Rutland. while speaking
with one of the physicians about the
rows Of windows in the wards open ali
the time except in the winter when the
patients are disrobing themselves IL
the evening. and again when they are
dressing in the morning, and 1ccA-
sionally when they are closed on tn
WfndWard side t. keep out driving
storm. ! asked how many cases o1
pneumonia had occurred. Only two
cases was the reply. That was for 10
patients in ten months
The curative capabilities of the air
in many parts of this State are not ap-
ureciated as thyy should be by our own
people. and many Of our physicians
are. in this. behind some of the out
side members Of the profession who
bring or send patients to some Of tn
Interior parts Of the State with very
favorable results. Compared with
Germany where the remarkable re-
suits If the sanitarium treatment oi
consumption have awakened the in
tprest vi physicians in all parts Of IN"
world. the winter climate uf Maine il
more favorable in having more sun
shine. ana less haze. FOG, ara chilling
Glmpncss.
"Ev the open window method M
treatment III the London Hospital for
assumption. il is encouraging ~ t'
that practically all the early cases "
consumption ana 20 per cent. Of AN
cases improve of 1S3 cases treated
since January, 43.7 per cent. left TN
hospital to return t. their work, ana
:32.3 per cent. distinctly improved.
The physicians Of the Massachu-
setts State Sanitarium for Consump-
tives report: 1T has been source Of
great qualification and surprise I" Sc
how quickly and contentedly the pa
tients have adopted the special hy-
gicnic methods used for treatment.
namely: almost constant life in the
omen air, whether by walking or re-
clining on the piazza. and the ingestion
of nourishing food The remarkable
change in the aspect of these patients
after even a short stay at the hospital
would convince the most casual OBJ
server of the efficacy of the treat
mont.
Not long ago Fort Stanton, New
Mexico. was turned over to the use of
the Marine Hospital service as the sit
tor a sanitarium for cOnsumptiVes. and
more recently the war depal tment has
approved Surgeon General Sternbcrg
recommendation that Fort Bayard. y.
NJ, be set aside for the treatment #