The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-05-12
ON THEINCREASE.
Meeting in Ireland Points Out
The Necessity
OF Stronger Efforts to Stamp
Out Consumption.

the National Association Cor the Pre-
vention of Tuberculosis WAS held ut tho
Mansion House, Dublin, IN Tuesday
evening. April 10. The report covers
many columns of the Dublin daily pa
pers and includes a report OF the Regis
trhr General and speeches by two emil
nent doctors who are authorities on
the subject. AS the subject has spe-
! cial interest for the Irish people ut
home and abroad, we give the follow
ing summary of the proceedings. taken
| from an editorial in the Freeman of
the following day:
| or all the ills that flesh is heir to,
| consumption is the most deadly. The
! figures quoted last night at the fifth
general meeting Of the Dublin branch
OF the National Association for the
Prevention of Consumption We're ap-
| palling. DR.. Boyd, in the annual re-
port of the branch, cited the figures
OF consumption mortality from the
statistics prepared by the Registrar
General. While in all oth"" countries
there has been, under the influence
OF scientific prevention and precaution
IL rapid decline in consumption mortal
ity. in Ireland alone the death-rate
from consumption is on the increase
The figure in 1904 was 80. which is the
maximum. The annual rate of 80 per
1000 represents the deaths of 1854
persons (of males G.o57. and of fe-
males 6.43O during the year. The
eleath-rates for the provincial areas for
all forms Of tuberculous disease were
for Leinster, 3.3 per 1000: for Nuns
ter. :.s per 1000; for Ulster. 30 per L.
600: and for Connacht, 90 per 1000.
In the County Boroughs OF Dublin and
Belfast the rates for deaths for all
forms OF tuberculous disease were re-
spectively 4.7 per 1000 and ~ per
1000 of the estimated population Of
these cities. In the districts contain
ing large towns. as might lie expected
the proportion is much larger than in
the rural districts. For whatever diff
terence OF opinion may exist in regard
to consumption. all are agreed that
fresh air is the most effective pre-
Hentive and curative agency yet dis
covered. To realize the fatal rayaces
OF consumption it is only necessary
to- remember that one out Of every ten
people who die in Ireland dies from
this prevcntable disease. The poverty
OF Ireland makes it II special prey to
this disease. whose agents are the
foul air of insanitary dwellings,, Insult
ftcient clothing and food. Among the
many Illustrations of the equal bless
ings Of the Union are the following
figures. cited by DR.. Arthur News
holmc. NJ. o. H., of Brighton. in a
paper read before the International
Congress on tuberculosis, held at
Paris in October. 1905. "Pauperism
has declined in England and Wales,
| between the years 1861 and 1905, 81
per cent. while phthisis has declined
SO per cent. In London pauperism has
declined Al per cent. In Scotland pau
! perism has declined 50 per cent, while
phtlisis has declined 43 per cent. In
Ireland pauperism has Increased t19
per cent, while phthisis has increased
II per cent" But 1t cannot be denied
that the sanitary authorities in Ireland
cannot be held wholly blameless for the
| disastrous and increasing ravages Of
the disease.
IN the very able speech last night
delivered by Professor E. ]. McWeeney,
who speaks with authority en- the SUBJ
ject. the varied precautions to check
tn" spread OF the disease We're most
lucidly explained. These precautions
| were embodied in summary in q reso-
luton which. on his notion was unani-
mously adopted by the meeting: THAT
this meeting views with grave con-
Germ the continued prevalence of con-
| sumption and other forms Of tubercu-
losis. especially In Ireland. and urges,
| with a view to the prevention of these
diseases (D the adoption Of system,
Of compulsory notification of con-
sumption; (2) the establishment of !.
public meteorological laboratory. in Or
der that the aid which science can
render in the diagnosis of disease may
be placed at the disposal Ct the poor;
go the provision for isolation and
curative treatment OF sanatoriums for
the poor by the sanitary authorities
az the establishment OF dispensaries
for consumptives in the large cities
OF population: 60 the prevention OF
splitting in public buildings and vehi-
cles." There was n time, and not sc
long distant. when consumption was
not regarded as infectious and thou.
sands Of lives We're sacrificed to the
error Then it was believed that thu
source Of the disease vas mainly
hereditary. Now it is believed that /,
is due solely to infection. AS it is the
most insidious and fatal Of all infec.
tiouS diseases, the argument in favor
OF compulsory notification seems con.
elusive. But the precautions urged
by DR.. McWeeney depend one uron an.
other for their effectiveness. 1t *
plain that notification is impossible OF