The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-08-15
WAR ON CONSUMPTION
State Board Issues Free Valuable
Circular for Prevention OF
Disease.


health, Dr.. J. a. lsgan. Is now busiy
engaged IN the preparation OF the sec
ond edition OF a circular on The
Cause and Prevention OF Consnmp'
ton," the first edition OF which,
amounting to 10000 copies, was Is
sued little over two weeks ago This
second edition, thoroughly edited and
revised, viii be out in a few days,
but in the meantime the most remark
able accumulation of applications Tor
these publications Is piling up in the
office of the board. The circular was
written for the layman, not for the
medical man, and it was designed as
plain ana practical talk to the con
sumptiye on how he may regain mis-
health and how he may prevent con-
yeying the disease TO others; 70 the
healthful man on how he may avoid
acquiring the disease himself and how
he may appreciate the physical condi-
tiuns which Indicate the threatened
invasion of the disease; TO members
of families Of consumptives, advising
them as to now they may properly
care for consumptiyes with little dan.
ger to themselves and how they may
safely continue TO live in houses In
which consumptives have lived or
died.
When the people We're advised that
such publication could be secured
the demand for copies commenced
and the extent of this demand is an
excellent index TO the wide preya-
lence OF the disease and the great
dread of it on the part of all people.
From every county in Illinois have
come applications from consumptives,
their friends, from other individuals.
from teachers. editors, physicians
and health officers; but the demand
has by no means been confined to 1lli-
nois. From Maine, New Jersey and
New York, from Virginia, Georgia and
other of the southern states, from
Texas and Colorado. from the Dakoa
tas and the Pacific coast states have
come applications from health officers
for immense quantities for public dis
tributoin or cries for single copies
from individual consumptiyes reach
ing out for any light upon the disease
threatening their destruction. lndi-
viduals and sanitary organizations
from some of the provinces of Canada
have also asked for copies OF the cir
cular. A number of editors have re
quested liberal supplies which they
desire to send out as supplements 10
their weekly papers.
That such demands cannot all be
met by the state board of an inditNl
ual state is easily appreciated, but an
immediate order for a second and
larger edition indicates the purpose
of the board TO see that copy of this
circular gets into every home in the
state of Illinois where a consumptiye
may live, and there can be no doubt
but that this wide distribution of
plain and simple lessons on the
great white plague" will do much to
limit the spread of the disease in the
state and will assist materially in
that education of the common people
which is essential to wiping out the
scourge altogether.
! No better excuse for this circular
need be given than the statement
that in 1903 over 1000 people died
from this one disease in Illinois. more
than died from typhoid fever. diph-
iberia. scarlet fever. all forms OF
bronchitis, influenza. whooping cough
measles and smallpox combined, and
that OF all these deaths consumption
is the one great enemy of the man in
the prime of life, killing. without re-
spect 10 manner of life or social con
dition. at the age when man is of the
most value to his family and to the
state. OF the 1000 dead from con
sumption in 1903 in Illinois $500 died
between the ages of % and 80.
But in this prevalence OF consump
lion Illinois is not more unfortunate
than other states. Mortality statistics
of all safes are strikingly similar in
this particular, and the grand total OF
deaths ia the United States in sin
gle year would approximate 100000.
What this means from an economic
| point Of view is shown by the fac
that the cost to Illinois from this dis
ase. in the education Of children VINO
lie before reaching producing age