The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-20
w HIIE PLAGUE IS
COSTING MILLIONS
8 353@
KILLS 1000 AN
wALLY IN MINNESOTA.
Estimating on Life-V aluation of $4,000
Cost to State Each Year Is $1O,OO0,-
OOO-Doctors Urge Education Of the
Masses to Combat Disease by Intell-
gent Methods.

e
tins annually in Minnesota and 300 Of
these die in Minneapolis This repre-
sents an estimated total of 5000 incur
able cases of tuberculosis in the state.
Making the statutory liberalization
$4,000, the basis of an estimate, this
an annual loss to the state of
$l0,000,000 and the care of the 5000
advanced cases represents an expendi-
ture of SIS 900, 900 more, making the to-
tai annual tribute to the dread de-
stroyer $15,O00,000 These figures were
brought out at the tuberculosis meet
ing Of the Hennepin County Medical so
ciety held at the society s rooms in the
Andrus building last night.
DR.. W. D. Sheldon opened the meet
ing with paper on the "Sanitarium
Treatment. of tuberculosis in which
he showed that the disease is durable,
proper treatment in sanatorium
Aside from it's curative value, the
sanatorium, according to DR.. Sheldon,
does great work in educating the
public in regard to the sanitary meas
ures essential to- the prevention and
cure of the disease. III
Look for Symptoms -
In his paper on the = Early Diagnosis
of tuberculosis, DIR. G.. D. Head urged
that the public be instructed to recog-
nize the early symptoms Of the disease,
and taught to consult physician at
once instead of waiting until it had
reached an advanced stage He named,
as the symptoms which should send a
man to a DOCTORS office, a persistent
cough, hemorrhage from the lungs, loss
of weight and strength not easily &C
aOuntoS for opI Of III. =
latter part Of his paper dealt with the
physical IS diagnosis and was technical.
| DR.. A. G. Cross took up "The Public
Aspect of Tuberculosis" and present.
ed the figures already given. AS pub
lie measures he urged an enforcement
{ Of the antispitting ordinance, disinfec
ton of infected buildings, city exami
nation of sputum and compulsory regis
tration Of cases. AS measure of pub
lie safety the county should have the
power to order incurables to a hospital
Tent camps, day sanatoria and a hos
pital for incura bl es are simply measure.
for the protection of the public from F.;
disease which is responsible for one
sixth of the deaths not caused by acct
dent, violence and old age. DR.: Cros
said that census Of tuberculous pa
| tients should be taken at once in orde
! that the public and philanthropic citi
| zens might know just what was needle,
in the way Of money and regulation.
Is Common Disease. I'D.
! In the discussion which followed tn
points made by the three speaker
} were affirmed in detail. =: -
DR.. J. w. Bell urged that the regula
practitioner bear in mind the fact tina
tuberculosis is very common diseas
and be constantly on the lookout for il
DR.. F. F. Wesbrooky of the stat
board of health, took up the educations
side Of the question and asked that tn
public be better taught the symptoms G
the disease. He favored small local sal
atoria rather than large central st;
l tions. "
DR.. D. Edmund Smith said that tt
berculosis was too big a thing for pr
8 vate treatment, but must be taken
1 hand by the state. .'>, - g.
a Edwin D. Solenberger, manager {
9 the Associated Charities, said that t,
: berculosis was the leading cause Of po'
9 erty in Minneapolis as the long sickne
y dragged the entire family down.
+ DR.. P. NJ. Hall Endorsed the Gems,
: plan and promised that the names of a
patients would be carefully concealed.