Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-09-07
Is FOR CONSERVATIVES
Movement For a State Institu-
ton For the Treatment of
tuberculosis Patients
MANY PATIENTS in HOSPITALS
Great Bane of the State Institutions in
Iowa is the Number of Inmates suf-
ferins With consumption-F'ossibli,
tiles of the Future Discussed and
Probable Results Considered.

1 Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines Sept. lit is probable,
in view OF investigations being made
| that in the near future efforts Will be
made to secure some special insti-
/ tuition for Iowa for the care ana treat
ment of consumptive wards of the state.
!. An investigation has been carried on to
/ determine how many there are in the
! in such a special hospital and it is
| found the number is quite large. The
| superintendentS Of the various inSti-
tutions have become interested in the
matter and it is probable there Will be
! some recommendations to ths legls-
flature along this line. DR.. w. +. Crum-
packer. superintendent of the hospital
at Independence, in his biennial report
| just filed with the state board, makes
special mention OF the fact that thu
great bane of hospitals for the insane
is tuberculosis. He declares that there
must he much more dissemination OF
the knowledge OF the cause Of this
disease. Continuing he says:
The laity and the lawmakers must
be educated, as it were, to an under
standing Of the underlying principles
now recognized as governing the devel-
opment of the malady. 1t mus be ac
knowledged as a sad blot to our boosted
progress that isolation wards or build
ngs for the tubercular have not as
yet been established in most of our
~ zI,11 to.
awakening to the urgent niece ssity OF
sanitary regulations against this dis
ease is proven by the anti splitting
ordinances which are already estab-
lished and moderately Well enforced
in our large cities and are gradually
extending to the more .progre ssive of
the smaller towns and villages. Ine
most effective germicide known for
the destruction OF the kock bacillus is
sunlight. For this reason individuals
having a tendency to tuberculosis
should spend all the time their environ
ment affords out of doors IL the sun
shine. 1t is now so generally conced
ed the disease is contagious that only
short time should intervene until
means are provided for the isolation
of those infected. 1t is interesting as
a matter of speculation to consider
what possibilities the future may I'M
fold as to the destruction of the phthis-
ical germ even within the pu monary
structure by means of the N-rays, the
Finsden light and other. powerful COM
binations of the, to us, hidden forces
of nature. For the present at least
our most promising work in battling |
With this foe rests in prevention rather |
than cure. We must depend ON ad- |
vanced hygiene and sanitary regula
tons. 1t has been proposed 10 erect |
a suitable cottage for the care OF this |
class at one or more of our state |
hospitals. In this way the most APP
proved architectural design for the
treatment of the disease could he insti- !
tuted. The nurses could be st thor |
oughly trained to care for this class |
with the least possible danger of them
selves contracting the disease. 1t APP
pears to ME that separate building
for this class will, in the not Far dis |
tant future, be recognized as an import |
ant requirement in the construction |
of any well equipped hospital for the
insane. 1t has even been proposed to |
erect such building with |
the end in view OF completely de-
it after the lapse OF a few
years when the structure may have be-
come impregnated with the paehogenic |
germs beyond hope OF destruction"