Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-05-20
Fighting Consumption.

The campaign to save the consump-
tive and to turn the race from the patti,
toward consumptive's grave is being
waged along sane and practical lines.
1t is not the experiment of enthusiastic
cranks, but the deliberate, scientific
effort of the best medical minds. The
second annual American Congress of
Tuberculosis which met in New York.
last week. has special interest for
Maine at this time, when our people are
being educated to understand the ma
:urc of consumption, and when Il State
sanatorium for consumptives. thanks
to the energy of DR.. a. G.. Young. is a
probability of the not far distant flu
ture. The accounts of the meetings
and discussed, as they come to us is the
Boston Transcript. are Of particular in
tcrest. The best method of treating
the disease. of caring for the sufferers
and protecting our communities against
the spread of the infection has become
very live question, and one that is
enlisting the interest of those best in
formed upon the subject to a marked
degree, as is shown by the fact that al
most every state sent delegates to the
congress.
Wyoming. however, sent none, her
governor writing that consumption was
practically unknown there. If it is
there must be a reason for it which the
men of the state. skilled in medical
science, probably understand. and even
if climatic influences alone explain the
immunity.a paper on the subject might
have been made interesting. The repre-
sentatives of the Eastern states. how
ever, could not make any such com
their own sections. Conditions here
have to be recognized and the great
problem is, of course, how to meet
them. Familiar as most Of the dele
gates were with the ravages of the dis
ease. they were rather surprised when
DIR. Pryor of Buffalo. told them that
$4,000 persons died from consump-
ton yearly in the state of New York.
But a still more startling statement
was that the death rate was 40 per cent.
and "a per cent. Of them could be
saved if the patients were taken in
charge by competent physicians when
the disease was in an incipient stage"
The trouble. he said, was that consump-
ton was not generally cared for at all.
people with other diseases may go to
almost any hospital. but the consump-
tive goes only in the last year to die.
the poor must die. 1t is about the only
disease that causes a man to die simply
because he is poor
There were other startling statements
and suggestions. venerable physician
from West Virginia was evidently dis
posed to share the views of Judge
Baldwin of Connecticut, for he advised
in every case of confined and hopeless
tuberculosis that no effort be made to
prolong life, but to make the patient a3
comfortable as possible. even if the
means employed should have ten
dency to shorten life. This heroic phi
losophy may be sound. but it is safer
doctrine to promulgate for the physi-
clan who has his practice behind him
than for one who has it still to gain.
Most people distrust the leech who
hints at cuthanasia as branch Of his
skill
State and public aid for free sanato-
RUINS for consumptives was strongly
urged. The whole tenor of the sancst
part of the discussion. at least. was
along this line. This is the work that
is being undertaken in Maine. though
the State has been asked for no money.