Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-06-13
THE %sANirARiuM IDEA.

Oue OCCdsiUudiiy cuCOuuteTS tnc sen.
timent that sanitaria for tuberculosis
are q source OF menace to the people.
OF course the well informed know that,
far from being a source of menace,
the propagation OF the sanitarium idea
is held by scientific circles to be the
best Of all safe guards against the
spread OF the disease.
This fact was strikingly empha.
sized at the first annual meeting OF
the National Association for the study
and prevention OF tuberculosis, held ut
Washington. ID. c.. last month,
After q full discussion OF the treat.
ment Of the disease and Of the meth.
DDS Of prevention and cure, It was
agreed that In the sanitarium could be
found the only source Of safety from
c%ontagion to the people, and found
also the best method of effective treat.
ment.
The physicians gathered from all
parts Of the United States at this i'm
portant meeting agreed that the rela-
tive degree OF contagion was very low
probably the lowest Of all diseases
and that there must be q predisposing
cause before the disease could be con.
tracted at all. It Is house ~contagion
that Is feared, never contagion where
the open air method OF treatment is
followed and where the proper de-
gree OF p%recaution Is observed.
Probably, the learned doctors would
agree that in this climate, with our
dry air and floods OF sunshine, the dan.
ger OF contagion Is practically reno
we'd entirely. But In any climate, the
danger can be reduced TO nothing by
the observation Of ordinary care. An
instance OF this may be found In the
s~anitarium Of DR.. Trideaux. the noted
specialist. who has maintained for
years the most noted sanitarium In
the United States. In all these years
not one case of the disease has ever
developed among the employees Of the
institution.
The discussion In Washington all took
the ground that the sanataria were the
best means In the world to guard
against the spread Of tho disease, NOT
only because they offered a place for
patients to 50 away from hot rooms
and narrow walls. where the tendency
to .cOntagion was greatest, but be.
CAUSE of the educational influence OF
such institutions as well.
The patient who had been cured In a
sanitarium realized the importance OF
the sanitarium idea of precautions and
sanitation, and he, as we'll as the SAM.
tarium patient, became a preacher
against the practices which. though
easily avoided, are yet too commonly
followed by tubercular patients.
Many instances were quoted where
sanitaria In a given city had resulted.
In marked improvement In the meth
DDS taken by the people to guard
against the disease and to make the
city healthier and cleaner. And It
was shown that the more s~anitaria
the better the effect and influence
upon the health of the city.
A prominent Las Vegas physician in
calling facts such as these to the at
tention OF The Optic, emphasized
the fact that the Fraternal Sanitarium
and other sanitaria here, instead of
becoming a source OF menace as some
people might imagine, would become
the greatest blessing to the city in.
directly. He pointed out that thous.
ands of tubercular patients had come
to this city. They had lived among
other citizens: they had vacated
rooms and been followed by Others,
with no attempt at fumigation. No
care had been asked or observed In
the matter OF e~xpectoration.
Still the disease had never spread
to the home people and despite the |
constant danger of re~infection OF tho
patient himself. a thing much more
likely than the contagion Of another,
a vast number Of people had beea !
cured or identified.
or late, the physician remarka 81
there had been a better understanding !
OF the nature OF the disease, more
precautions had been taken both by pa.
tients and by citizens. but conditions
were far from being what they should
be in that regard.
But with the coming of big insti,
tutions and the spread of the sanirar-
ium idea, such a campaign OF educa.
ton would begin. that soon IL would
be considered not only UNREASONABLE
but pretty nearly ~criminal'for any In.
fected person to disregard any of those
simple precautions which rohs the dis.
ease of all danger Of contagion. The