Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-01-27
To Fight White PLAGUE
Distinguished Men Take Part In A Meet
ing Al Annapolis For The Prevention
OF Tuberculosis.

The public meeting of the Maryland
Association for the Prevention of Tuber-
cuosis. was held in the chamber of the
House of Delegates Annapolis, Monday
night.
The chamber was filled with dis
tinguished gathering, including Cover.
nor Warfeld, Comptroller Atkinson.
State Treasurer Murray Vandiver,
Joseph B. Seth. President of the Senate:
many Senators and members of the
House and a large number of ladies'.
Speaker Benson called the meeting to
order and presented the presiding officer.
MIR. j. Writ Randall. who sketched the
purpose of the association, the great
work which it aimed to do and the diff
culties in the way. He urged that the
State extend its help in this work and
stated that DIR. William Osler. who had
expected TO be present, had been
obliged TO go To Boston to meet his
wife.
DR.. VIM. II. Welsh was the first
speaker He made vigorous address.
dwelling strongly upon the enormous
proportion of deaths caused annually by
tuberculosis and stating that the disease
stood at the very top of the causes of
death. He graphically described how
persons became infected with the dis
ease. He declared the infection was al
most always contracted within doors,
where persons are crowded together in
factories, shops or rooms. Rarely was
il possible to contract the disease out
of doors. In touching upon the treat
ment of the disease DIR. Welsh said that
when the disease is in an advanced
stage sanitariums are not the place to
send patients. The way to prevent this
greatest scourge of mankind. DR..
Welsh said, was by securing co-opera-
ton of all the forces of society, by OBJ
tanning better sanitary conditions and
by teaching persons to take ordinary.
but necessary precautions. He de-
scribed in detail these precautions and
emphasized the fact that there must be
a general cooperation of forces in order
to wage an intelligent campaign against
the disease.
DR. w. S. Thayer spoke highly of
the State Board of Health and its work.
making the assertion that there was no
better Board of Health in the country.
He devoted his remarks largely To the
treatment of tuberculosis. declaring
that medicines were but minor part
of the treatment. The important things
were he said, rest. fresh air. water.
massage, care of the skin and muscles
and diet.
DR. Thayer claimed that one of the
great needs of the present day was
local consumptive hospitals, where
facilities for the treatment of the dis
ease in its worst stages could be pro-
vided He spoke of the handicap I'M
dor which tho victims of tuherct1loSiS
labored in this State and of the great
good that could be accomplished by the
establishment of State Institution.
Senator j. Charles Linthicum was
next called upon by Mr. Randall Mr.
in the subject under discussion and his
determination to use every effort TO
pass his bill providing for State
hospital for consumptives. He urged
that Maryland was far behind other
States in this regard, and realizing the
necessity of such an institution in this
State, he had Incorporated this plan of
establishing State hospital in his plat
form before the election. He now pro-
posed to aid the society in securing an
appropriation from the State for this
purpose.
DR.. John S. Fulton, secretary of the
State Board of Health. said that the
present law was good one as far as it
went, and that the Legislature had
done its duty up-to-date. He said that
so far rs preventing the disease they
had done all that could be done in the
way of legislation. The thing to do now
is to take steps to further the cure of
the disease.