The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1907-09-14


ember 20 next and the purpose Of the
gathering will be 70 make definite
plans TO care for eonsumptives. Every
comfy Of the upper peninsula is 10 I've
represented at the meeting. according
70 present plans, and the building Of
one OF more hospitals for the care Of
consumption patients only. is TO be
discussed
The movement was started by the
State Medical society and DIR. F. Med
Harkin OF Marquette is member Of
the committee named by the society to
confer with the supervisors Of the mp
per peninsula He has already taken
M the project.with the boards Of sup
ervisors in every county Of the upper
peninsula and has addressed number
Of communication TO the Marquette
county board.
AT the last meeting of our supervis
ors he presented the following
communication which states the
urgent need Of action In checking
the disease II was not
read a. the stress Of other business
necessitated laying u over until next
meeting
To the Honorable Body OF Supervisors -
You are perhaps aware Of the cam
paign against the disease Of tuber-
culosis or consumption. instituted by
the State Medical society. and as had
the honor Of being appointed on the
state committee TO look after the in
terest Of the upper peninsula. am
sending you this communication with
the hope OF enIisting Your sympathy
and aid in this great and noble enter
prise
: Now. let me preface my remarks, by
saying that the laity In general is quite
ignorant of the extent and ravages Of
this dreaded disease, which in 1905
carried oe over twenty FIVE hundred
victims in the state OF Michigan alone
and il Is usually &C. )untable for one
seventh Of all the deaths tnat occur
annually.
twenty-five hundred deaths annually
means that there must be at least two
Thousand people suffering from the
disease in any one year For, You
must know that tuberculosis Is di
sease which affects not only the lungs,
but the Drain bowels liver kidneys.
and nearly every tissue and organ in
the body.
Az an illustration let us suppose that
some foreign nation. by insidious me
thods accomplished 10 the destruction
OF twenty five hundred 81 our citizens
annually would we not all be ready to
sacrifice both our money and our lives
~ necessary in the preventing Of such
an outrage Then why do we sit idly
by. and allow this most insidious 81
diseases continue its work OF destruc
tion. without let or hindranee
"A the victims are usually taken
from the Younger and more active
members Of society between the ages Of
eighteen and thirty.six, you can readi.
ly see what great loss u is 10 the
state annually b say nothing Of the
grief. misery and bereavement inc
dent o. snch loss Given person Of
naturally weak constitution and per
haps living or working under bad
hygienic surroundings II such person
is exposed TO the germ Of tuberculosis,
that person will likely acquire the
disease. and unless given early and
prompt treatment under the most fav
orable surroundings. will likely die.
Please understand that tuberculosis
il Il preyentalle disease. for II one "a
not exposed 70 the germ he cannot ac-
uuire the disease And II Is my firm
opinion that Il the campaign Of educa
tion Of the masses now being prosecut.
cd Is carried out faithfully. and we can
have established sanitariums. where
we can segregate consnmptive patients
not only for curing them. but FOR pre-
venting the spread Of the disease we
can almost rid the country Of this
dreaded plague within twenty Ave
years
Now. the sanitarium method OF
treating tuberculosis. has proven so
successful wherever IL has been tried.
that seventy 10 eighty per cent OF i'm
cipient or early cases are cured and
about fifty per cent Of those in whom
the ,lisease has had a good start
The state OF Michigan Is now build
ing sanitarium al Howell. ia lower
Michigan. but IL will be- sometime be
fore II can adequately take care OF
even a fraction Of the applicants from
the lower peninsula alone
II IL the object 10 have established a
similar institution in tine upper PENN.
sula, 20 care for not only the dependent
county poor, but applicants from All
walks Of life afflicted with the disease