Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-04-12

That tuberculosis is frightful
scourge in Wisconsin is shown by the
above map OF the state, each dot repre-
sentins one death from TINS disease in
1900, the total being 2,l75 and Milwau-
kee alone suffering 1853; and that cure
and prevention are possible in nearly
all cases appears from the report pre-
pared by the stale tuberCuAos com
mission created by the legislature OF
and appalling showing is made by the
commissioners. and one that must
awaken the legislature to the urgent
need of moving against the whit
plague both from humanitarian @nd
economic motives. These commits
sioners are Dr.. Gustav Schmidt o. Mil
waukee president, Dr.. Michael Ravn
Of Merrill. vice president; and DR.. Ii.
J.. Russell of the university faculty,
secretary. Their report is made to the
governor. who appointed them.
II appears that from the vital Stats
tics on file in the office of the secretary
Of state. 2,l75 deaths from tuberculosis
and 2,t42 in 1907 In a conside able
: rDportion of death records. no cause
Of death is assigned and it is highly
probable that the annual loss Of life in
this state from tuberculosis is ABOUT
800 persons each year Even on the
basis of the official records, it is over
! II per cent OF the total morality, OF
! based on the living population, 1O5
| deaths per 10000 population. While
! about $500 people die every year from
! this disease, there are from 1000 to
I 5000 other ca 5es affected IN various
stages. making in all an army of some
/ $4,000 of orr citizens that are more OF
! less in"agac' ted from active life and
| who sooner or later. for the most part
! a victim to this disease. 1t is pointed
/ out that this loss falls mainly on the
! most productive periods OF life as by
far the larger proportion of all tuber
cular deaths occur between Is and &C
/ The commission declares that tuber
/ cuIosis may be prevented in large par
| by the exercise OF certain precaution
airy measures which will check more OF
less completely the wide spread distri
! button Of the virus of the disease, and
! these suggestions are made:
/. As the disease germ is largely
/ spread through he medium ct matter
coughed up from the lungs, it follows
that adequate anti-spitting laws, prop
! erly enforced. materially reduce the
| danger from this source
,, Compulsory notification of all
| cases OF the disease should be made
! so that the boards of health through
the attending physician, might see that
| proper measures are taken to prevent
the spread of the disease In the homes
| 3, This disease is essentially a house
| disease Apartments occupied by tn
! bercular patients in the latter stages
Of the disease are sure TO be infected
and many cases develop each year
through the lack of thorough disinfec
! ton of these infected centers Of con
| ragion
1. The education OF the masses a.
| TO the exact nature of the disease is
| doing much to reduce its prevalence
| but this work must be continued vigor
ously for years to come
| D The almost marvellous results as
to the treatment of this disease that
have obtained in sanatoria offer not
only succor to those already afflicted
but actually result in diminishing the
spread of oontagion by the removal OF
| infected persons.
Treatment In Sanatoria.
tuberculosis has been so long re
sarded by the publ as an absolutely
incurahle disease chat 1t is difficult to
convince those afflicted with it that
! any aid can be had and yet the re
suits obtained. show that it yields
| readily to hyglanic measures. and In
| the earlier stages can be easily cured
! Formerly 1t was thought necessat, t.
resort 10 change of climate for treat
meut, but experience has amply dem
/ oastrated that the disease can be cured
quite as readily in Wisconsin as in the