The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-06-10

ties designed for this purpose. but the,
are largely Imperative because of thu
lack Of sympathy and support upon tn,
that daily threaten on every side.
II the masses of the people knew AZ
much of the sources Of disease as tnt
educated, better element of PHYSICIANS
there would then be no necessity fei
this appeal. With a clearer apprecis-
ton OF danger, there would be more
Intelligent light against disease. That
this knowledge is the prime requisite
For should we obtain such legislation
as would leave our boards OF health UNI
hampered In the discharge Of their du-
shs lays wSq1a st Be b largeiy yv nm
pathy and support. IT IL to be, thea
chiefly matter of education; and how
10 accomplish this IL the problem.
Is NO. Tsa very r. . sFsey r.s Ii aIs
along any line of reformation; and W.
| 40 not expect an easy task In this
campaign. II is only in the minds ..
for these seed which we hope to sow.
4 we have come to an appreciation Of the
iact by long experience In this work.
that the only means by which we MAJ
| cultivate higher and better ideas OF
life. is to begin at the frst round Of the
ladder-the little child in the school
! room. And plans are already in opera
ton by which. with the cooperation
/ ~ the sOldtet there Will Dc OellVereQ
each year. in every public school in
| This country. course of lectures upon
| the preservation OF health and the pre-
vehtive of disease.
However this is work of the future,
which will require years toeaccomplish
any apreciabIe results, and in the mean
time necessity presses hard upon US.
Are our hands to be stayed until our
sevss ate peita5 o e enr pes han
no way In which the people of the
present day may aid US In this human
tartan enterprise?
cerning the ravages of consumption:
~ the eighty.odd million people living
II the United States. 1t Is estimated
that ten million are doomed to die of
s sess di s Each r, day that
thousand victims to this Unsuitable
monster Seventy thousand valuable,
productive lives, most of them at the
oss the soun aSs T hers a whh
people in America dying at this min
ute with this disease than haYe died
from yellow fever in a century. Six
occur are due TO tuberculosis. Its vic
tins are greater in number than all
those who die of the plague, cholera,
yellow fever, smallpox, murder and
sponsibility resting, upon this govern
ment, which is essentially paternal in
its character can be clearly understood
when 1 state that 1t is the generally
accepted opinion among medical men
who have made h study Of this subjects
that more than so per cent Of these UNI
fortunates could have been saved by
the timely and intelligent use of pre-
ventive measures. Clearly something
must be done. We who are taking the
initiative In this matter. are heavily
handicapped. as have already said, by
our inability to obtain the cooperation
never be overcome until we command
q better educated citizenship In view
of this fact, we have decided, until bet
ter conditions exist, to appeal to the.
legislative government of the different
States for aid.
Even the ignorant know that con-
sumption Is due to the presence In the
disease is easily communicating. And
yet, In spite of this understanding. per
sons afflicted with It carelessiy and
habitually expeetorate upon the pave
nnents Of crowded streets, in public
halls. in depots and railway trains, etc
loading the atmosphere with millions
of germs to be inhaled by the unsus-
peetlng, who. II their vitality happens
selves sooner or later in the ranks of
these unfortunates. With this fact ui,-
disputed, we are forced to consider man
himself as the chief source of infeo-
tion.
Among the rich and well to do
CLASSES, there are fewer deaths. which
fact is Of course due :. their ability to
SECURE plenty Of freslS air, good nour-
ishing food and intelligent attention.
Among the poor, It is a scourge. Here
we ind whole families occupying the
same room with the sick member, a
menace 20 themselves and to the entire
community. These two conditions have
given US the keystone of the structure
we are striving to erect, and that key
stone is isolation.
complish. and 1t Is just here we desire
70 call in the aid of the State. The
nrst requirement is compulsory .notif-
cation, which can only come through
this hydra-headed monster, which Is
destroying thousands at It's daily meal,
IN our different communities, is calmly
Ignored; while we get ourselves Into a
tered cases of smallpox or yellow fever.
camel.
The second requirement is the es
enlistment by the State OF hospitals I
for the reception of such cases as can
not be properly isolated ana treated at
home. An argument which may be ad-
vanced II opposition to this is the
person by being forcibly and perhaps
unwillingly separated from his family.
To refute this, have but to remind
you that tho greatest good to the
greatest number is the basic principie
Of all good government
Suppose we consider this matter from |
merely a commercial point of view
Statisticians who have endeavored to |
estimate the value to the State of the |
life Of a bread-winning citizen. have |
agreed upon $4,000 as the lowest and |
most conservative figure. When YOU
recall the statement that at least SO |
per cent of the deaths from consump-
ton are easily preventible by isolatinE |
those who may be all eady infected, and |
carefully dislnfecting their sputum, IL |
IS easy to compute. by a simple refer
ence 10 vital statistics which are kept
on record. the enormous financial loss |
TO the State.
l shall be forced by the length to
which this has grown, to content my
self with the mere presentation of
these facts. The object of this com
as stated in the beginning
g to set people to thinking. We OF
he medical profession, realizing the
slow progress we are making in the
EFFORT to discover. a cure for this dis
Ease. have, set ourselves earnestly to
work in the endeavor to cneck its
spread; and we feel that we are not
asking too much OF the people. who
ire directly concerned, when we beg
heir cooperation in securing such Leg
station as students of hygiene consid-
n so necessary.
W. w. Mangum. NJ. D.