The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-12-30
December estimated)

The burning question is-if tuberoul-
osis is preventable, why not prevent!
WHY continue to suffer this terrible
loss annually. If tn Gloss were caus-
ed by a pack of wolves in each coun-
ty, the people nor the author1tles
would be apathetic, because they
would know and understand the cause.
When the causes of consumption are
known and understood by all, then &C
ton will be taken and the awful ol-
sease will be no more.
The time of regular battle, against
this arch enemy of mankind, is
long one indeed, but the battle can be
waged on. The first step is to estao-
lish a State Hospital which Will ac-
comodate about 800, and then cure sew
enty to eighty incipient cases OF con-
sumption out of every one hundred
cases. This will be a practical exam
ME for the cures will be effected by n.y.
pienic living In this way the people
will rapidly learn, that failure to ven
tilate bed rooms, school rooms, chur-
ches. stores, houses and offices; and
also failure to be temperate and SEN
sible in eating, drinking and cleanll-
ne SIS, is a capital crime which nature
Furnishes by disease and death.
Here is another table taken from
the statistics gathered by the State
Board of Health which teaches much
in regard to the losses caused by the
preventable consumption.
Havoc wrought by consumption in
1906 in Indiana:
Total consumption deaths -. 450o
Males 49,. 1910
Females :. Zo9I
Mother 1S 70 40. prime OF life. 497
Father, is to 40, prime of life. 319
Orphans made under II years. 26O4
Homes made fatherless or motherless.
DOLL
Cost to the people not less than. ....
:. :. $4,000, 900
It takes two or three readings and
little contemplation of the above
! terrible facts to realize the awfulness
of consumption with the havoc 1T
| leaves in it's track. AS science stands
ready to stop this loss, we the people,
will be foolish indeed, if we do not
/ engage with science in the matter.
| Summary.
/ A study of the figures of deaths and
the death rate is decreasing in India
ma: that certain diseases, among them
diphtheria, scarlet fever, influenza, ty-
phoid fever and smallpox, are becom-
ing milder in character: that the sum
total of sickness has not decreased
and that the respiratory diseases
known as coughs, colds, catarrh, pull
monary tuberculosis and pneumonia
are slightly on the increase The
death and disease rates of Indiana are
as low as those of other middle states
/ but not as low as in those states
I where the sanitary authorities are
permitted, through better health laws
to more practically apply to every day
life the principals OF hygiene
Needed Health Legislation.
The future Improvement in health
of the people of Indiana, depends, IL
considerable degree. upon whether OF
not the coming legislature will permi
the Improvement The present health
law was passed in 1891. OF course, il
is not ND to the times and does no
take into account the late discoveries
in sanitation, and it actually prevent:
in one or two particulars the ends i
was constructed to subserye- The
State Board of Health has learned b,
severe experience and by a study O
other state health laws, about VIVA
is needed in law TO enable healtf
boards to be efficient. As the State
Board desires to do good work, and
must have a machine TO do it with. i
will present to the coming Legislature