The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-03-14
TIE RgAL RACE SUICIDE.


Must Die OF Tuberculosis.
"Tuberculosis is the real race sui
eide" writes Samuel Hopkins Adams
in McClure's. And he treats us to
sledgehammer arraignment Of the zig
norance, prejudice and greed" by
which alone this disease remains the
scourge of the world,' although 1t is
"often curable, almost invariably sus-
ceptible of alienation and always pre-
ventable"
OF the 75,OOO,OOO living Americans,
100000 at least must inevitably die
OF tuberculosis. This is horrible-the
more SO that the loss of these lives
might have been prevented. The only
serious source of infection is by the
sputum coughed up by the sufferer; II
this is properly cared for, as by means
of dislnfected cloths, the intelligent
consumptive is never a peril to others.
And modern science can relieve his
own condition-can cure it. If it be not
too far advanced-by the simple means
Of cleanliness, fresh air and sunlight
and regular habits. Indeed tremen-
dous reduction of the death rate has, in
some places, already been made-ln
New York, over forty per cent. in fifteen
years; in Boston, fifty per cent. in sew
enteen years. Why, then, has not
'The Great White Plague been prac-
tically stamped out from our onlight-
ened country?
The most immediate problem in the
fight is the disposition of the helpless
consumptive. And the United States
is almost without proper sanitaria for
this purpose. Barling New York, Gin
cinnati and Baltimore, no city has ac-
commodations fer one-twentieth Of its
consumptives actually perishing for
lack of the simplest treatment. This
disgraceful condition will remain until
large sums are voted for the building
of proper sanitaria.
knowledge of conditions is the sec
ond requisite. Every careless con-
| sumptiye creates a centre of infection
which should be promptly reported and
cleansed. And it is almost incredible
that the chief hindrance to the compul-
sorry registration of cases comes from a
large class of the medical profession
| themselves So much so that in Chit
cago, for instance, the Board of Health
has rejected physicians reports con-
cerning causes of death as less trust
worthy than those OF the undertakers
Some Of our legislators are taking heed
of this criminal neglect, but much toe
slowly.
Other responsible allies of the "Grea'
White Plague" are the owners OF
crowded, filthy tenements breeding
grounds for the disease who save
money by eyading the tenement houst
laws. Mr.. Adams handles without
gloves such respectable bodies as the
Trinity Church Corporation, of New
York, and the University of Chicago
Both these have bitterly refused to un
dergo the expense of compliance witt
the law, which would greatly reduc'
the awful percentage of deaths from
consumption in their unhealthy ro0k
eries-but would also reduce their in
come. The shame of such wealth.
"slum proprietors," whose gold i
bought by the lives of helpless tene
ment dwellers is. we trust, withou
parallel in our country.
Mr.. Adams, in a conclusion Will
which we heartily agree, urges ever!
citizen to lend his countenance TO th,
education of the public. the appropria
ton of sums for sanitaria, and the en-
actment and enforcement of wise legis
lation.
1t is disgrace TO the nation that (
disease as horrible and preventable a
tuberculosis should not be stamped on
from our midst.