The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-05
POINTS TO DODGE CITY
DIR. Crumbine FavOrs Establish.
ment of Sanat0rium.
Most Effeetual Way OF Com
batting Consumption.


1t is estimated that during the past
year, upwards of 1000 deaths from
consumption occurred in the state.
Six hundred and seventeen deaths
were reported from so counties. The
plans for the management of the con-
umptiveS' sanatorium have not been
announced, but the institution would
doubtless be managed in similar way
to the other eleemosynary institutions
of the state.
The state board of health has issued
a circular on the subject, which says:
Sanatoria for consumptives are now rec
ognized as an important factor in the
treatment of the consumptive poor. Re
moved from homes where. poverty forbidS
even the bare necessities OF life, they are
placed IN an institution where they can
have plenty of good nutritious food, where
they are under good medical care, which
for consumption, namely: fresh air and
sunshine. Here they are taught how to
homes they will teach their associates
how TO be clean also. A list of eighty
three such Institutions in the United
States was recently published in The
journal of the American Medical AsSocia-
ton. Many states already have tubercu-
losis sanatoria as a part of their public
appropriations from their legislatures
/ society will ask our coming legislature TO
tbepa fne VOTE IN hanSaS, Many OF
than a number of tents. Such a sanator-
| UNI is called tuberculosis camp. The
| tents are preferred to buildings by many
| who have had experience with both.
The climatic conditions of western KAN
sas are ideal for such sanatorium and
| camp. For the past five years the mean
annual temperature as reported by the
eminent station, is as follows; 1899. 81
degrees; 1901, $50 degrees; 1902 54.5 de-
possible amount OF sunshine for the past
! tve years is as follows: 1899, IS per cent;
per cent; 1903, "A per cent.
| With pure air and water, equitable tenn
perdture, floods OF sunshine and relative
| " dry atmosphere with an altitude of
| from $500 feet at Dodge City and rapidly
close TO $500 feet. the conditions are most
! favorable for the cure of tuberculosis,
as this great state could provide for those
affected by the great white plague.
forms are an everyday occurrence, mat
ters of great Importance are likely to be
timately associated with the movement.
The anti-tuberculosis crusade, while a
old as movements go. Twenty, thirty,
and even fifty years ago there were men
and could be prevented: Unfortunately,
these men were ahead of their time, so 1t
is only within the last few years that the
idea has been given credence. Societies
for the study of tuberculosis have been
formed. and a result of these societies
the crusade has been promulgated Ma
tional, state and municipal socletles are
forming. whose only OBJECT Is 10 wage
war against consumption.
To casual observer it would seem that |
there IS no call Tor sqen intense act HV;
interested enough to inform himself as |
to the prevalence of the disease and the |
steps necessary for its eradication, VIII |
soon become an enthusiastic worker in |
the campaign; for physicians are not the |
ters, lawyers, philanthropists, and, IN /
fact; all who are striving TO make me |
world a better place to live in. and who |
have given this matter any study, are
joining the ranks, and are gladly well |
coined. Our greatest physicians and sci |
entists all over the world are at the head |
of the movement, so the reader may be |
sure it is no passing rad
tuberculosis is not increasing. On the |
contrary, many authorities claim that il /
death rate in the United States is in the
neighborhood of one hundred thousand |
year. Taking tuberculosis in all its forms
it is responsible for one-seventh of the |
death in the world. There were six hun
dred and seventeen deaths from tubercu-
losis reported from sixty counties in Kan
sas to the state board of health during the
last twelve months. These reports are
far from being complete and many of the |
more populous counties in eastern Kansas
failed to report at all So it is safe to say
over one thousand people die in Kansas
every year from consumption.
Some doubling Thomas may say: well,
/ don't believe that consumption can be
ways had it and always VIII" To this We
can reply thai We used to have vide
spread epidemics of Asiatic cholera, but
III is only the older people Nho can re-
member the last time it visited America.
II will never come again a few years
ago the bubonic plague touched our
gaining a foothold- These diseases are
foreigners to and will ever remain so.
But in the case of tuberculosis our fore
fathers brought it with them when they /
settled America. The American Indian
sumption until the white man brought it
to him. BY contact the Indians acquired
succumbed. tuberculosis has killed more
Indians than the white man has in all
Tuberculosis is germ disease. The
germ of tuberculosis was one OF the first
nent German bacterfologist, demonstrated
it in the sputum of consumptiveS in 1882
While tuberculosis is contagious, not all
persons who have tuberculosis are scat
tering the disease. Tt is only when the
tubercular subject has become a consump-
tive. that Is, when the tissues of his lungs
begin to break down and he is throwing
off this broken down tissue in his sputum-
The microscope alone can tell just when
this stage is reached
1t was easy for people to understand
that smallpox, diphtheria and scarlet fe-
yer are conta gious, but because tubercu-
losis did not develop from one exposure,
and did not show up within few days,
They did not know the bacillus tubercu-
losis is a slow growing plant:
There IS inherent power in every liv-
ing being which combats disease. This
power is stronger towards certain dis
also diners in different races. A person
may naturally have the power to with
vicinity of consumptives and never con-
tract the disease. Then again, person
may have had this immunity. but may
have lost it through prolonged illness from
some other disease. This natural immuni-
ty of some people has also helped to keep
the public from believing in the conta-
giousness of consumption As in many I
other things. the public forms its opinion !
from a very superficial observation. On
the other hand. people who have believed
that consumption is contag ious have made
Having learned that it is CONTAGIOUS. they