The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-12-04
The FIGHT Against tuberculosis

The Fight Against tuberculosis.
Every other day sees sanatorium,
association, or dispensary for tue treat
ment or prevention of tuberculosis es.
tablished in this country. During the
months of September and October, Is
associations, 10 sauatoria, aud dispen-
saries were started or provided for in the
United States. The stimulus for this wave
of philanthropic. endeavor has been de-
rived largely from the recent International
Congress on tuberculosis.
From one end of the country to the
other, men and women of all ranks and
classes, are rising up to fight in the battle
against tuberculosis. Including the re-
Gently formed societies, there are at the
present time 2II associations for the
study and prevention of tuberculosis in
the United States, with total member
ship Of over 10000, all engaged in an
active war OH consumption. Never be-
fore~in the history of the country has such
an army been massed to fight against
disease. On January 1, 1905. there were
in the United States only "a associations
for the study and prevention Of tubeEe
culosis. BY January 1, 1899. there will
undoubtedly be $50 such associations, an
increase of over 300 per cent. The states
which lead in the number of associations
are, Massachusetts with 26, New Jersey
with ~, New York with 10, Michigan
with I6, and Pennsylvania with ID
Thirty five of the forty-six states have one
or more associations.
These Associations are all philanthropic
in organization. That such organizations
are instrumental in saving life, may be
seen from the reduced death-rates in sew
eral states aud cities. In Boston, the
death-rate was reduced from FL 70 tors 4o
per ten thousand, largely through the
efforts of the local association. In New
York, il is estimated that the campaign
against tuberculosis has saved to the city
annually at least 5000 lives. In Chicago
a similar reduction in the number of
deaths from tuberculosis has been affected.
At the head of the great campaign
being carried on throughout the country
is the National Association for the Study
and Prevention of Tuberculosis, with
President Roosevelt as one of its head
aud with nearly 1000 members in every
state in the Union. Allied with the Nat
ional body, are 27 State Associations,
who are fighting tuberculosis in their var
ious states. And under these state organ
zations, or independent of them, there
are nearly 200 associations in the prin.
cipal cities of the country.
The increase in the number of sana.
toria at the present time, is also particular.
|ly noteworthy, since the need for beds for
tuberculous patients is evident in every
state. There are, at the present time, $50
sanatoria, and hospitals making special
provision for tuberculous patients, and
the entire bed capacity of all Of these in.
situations is but $4,000. When tits con.
sidered that there are in the United
States, at least 100000 people suffering
from tuberculosis, u of which number
ought to be in sanatoria or hospitals, the
lack of proper bed capacity is very
evident.
The dispensary movement, one of the
later phases in the anti tuberculosis cam
paign, is also receiving great impetus
Four years ago there were only 10 dis.
pensaries in the United States; at the
present time, there are I65, and new on es
are being established at the rate Of one
week. These dispensaries are places to
which anyone who thinks that he has
consumption, or knows that he has the
disease, may go and be examined and
given proper advice and treatment free of
charge, or for very small sum. The
emphasis in these institutions has been
laid on regular aud sanitary life on the
part of the patient, aud on his sleeping in
the open air.