The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-08-18
snh.crIn,lon Rnls..
AK /. alRa, EliDr anl Publisher
"The Great White Plague"

unexpected by the State Board OF
Health the symposium on tubercu-
losls which occurred the third day of
the Vermont school for health officers
no Burlington In July-was next TO the
largest assembly Of that occasion.
/ Unlike previous Efforts along this line
/ there was real interest manifested,
but was nearly all professional. The
larger number Of health officers are
doctors in active practice, yet the
speakers on the ravages Of consump'
tlon, It's cause and cure, were granted
10y many others, physicians who had
been called to Burlington because OF
nm examination by the State Board of
Consors IN relation TO Interstate prac-
tice
DR. Darlington, health commissioner
of New York City, gave the experience
fthe metropolis at North Brothers
Island with Getty patients. " The san.
itoriIm at that point is about the
worst in point Of location that could
be chosen. The winter breezes beat
upon that locality with a ierceness
which is not appreciated by the ordiu
AIRY citizen. In summer the noisome
olors center thereabouts. completing
the disadvantages OF the site as a san.
itorium for consumptives. Then,
again. the patients are for The most
part In the third stage Of the disease
before they become public charge, so
the conditions are the least hopeful.
Notwithstanding these disadvantages,
DR. Darlington said the permanent
cases were eight per cenium; the ar
rested cases we're sixty per centum,
leaving thirly-two per cenium as the
rate of mortality. III We can accom-
plish such results in New York har.
Dor, " said the speaker, "what cannot
you DO "a Vermont anywhere 2" Sure
enough
Professor King Of the Loomis SAM
torium, stated there were three 'on.
sets" modes Of attack to this disease,
and showed how and why tuberculosis
was so often mistaken for something
else. He then said there we're three
factors ofhelp. arrest and cure, namely:
pure air, sunshine and rest IL was
comparatively easy to convince both
the patient and immediate family OF
the first two. but the accomplishment
OF the almost impossible TO make them
believe IN the last and most imperative
essential of the three-fold remedy
rest DR. King illustrated the way the
diagnosis would be received by pat
tents OF diverse temperaments, the alb
solute rebellion of some as To the es-
senuals by which help could be OBJ
tanned. and the fact that the tempera
ment OF the patient otherwise durable
initiated against any hope of relief.
Often, when the boy or girl would Of
themselves obey the rules necessary,
the mothers we're so sure no one could
live without exercise that the home
treatment became an impossibiity.
Several physicians in Bennington can
substantiate this statement, and so Of
others.
Herein was where the sanitorium be.
came a necessity. To teach patients
what to do, how to physically rest, and
maintain a discipline without which
death was certain in short time.
Even though consumptives could not
remain in sanitorium more than a
month or two or three months, when
they arrived home the important lesson
OF bodily rest had been learned, and
the disease could then be mitigated and
cured If not too far progressed.
These lectures will soon be published
in The Quarterly Bulletin of the State
Board, when our people may study the
subject each for themselves.