The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-10-23


patients. England has long shown a
100000 TO 1856 in 1900, and inquiry
shows that il is in all probability due
to the establishment long ago of hos
pitfalls for far.advanced eases and in
firmaries in connection with poorhouses
and that improved sanitation and hy-
gienics have raised the resistance of the
individual. Germany has many insti~
buttons, and there is probably greater
effort, better organization, and more
definite results obtained than anywhere
else in Europe. BY the German system
every laborer and servant is obliged by
law TO become insured against sickness,
accident, and old age, the companies
being controlled by the government. To
the organization of the state sick in.
surance department is largely due the
reduction of the tuberculosis death rate
in Prussia from 80 per 100000 in 1886
to 1870 per 100000 in 1901.
Coming to our own country, YOU are
doubtless all familiar with the pioneer
work of DIR. Trudeau at Saranac Lake
in the Adirondacks. From his initia-
tive the National Association for the
Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis
now has membership of over 1000
able physicians and laymen from all
over the States. Each group of mem
bers has become the nucleus around
which local efforts have conferred. There
are nows 1913 organized societies in cor.
respondence with the National Associa.
tion, and there are over 200 special hos
pitfalls, sanatoria and camps for the
treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis in
the United States. The Federal govern.
ment maintains two sanitaria, both in
New Mexico. The one at Fort Stanton
is controlled and operated by the U. s..
p. II. and NJ. ii. s.; the other, at Fort
Bayard, is for the treatment of officers
and men who have contracted tubercu-
losis in the service of the government.
During September and the present
month the third International Congress
on tuberculosis will be held in Wash
ilgton. The meeting has been describ.
ed as at once peace congress and n
war congress. peace congress in so
far as many different nations will join
in the making of common plans a war
congress because the greatest modern
war against the most common and dead
ly enemy of the people is to be con-
WIN lut ldltSl. lHOSt
| strategy. President Roosevelt has been
elected president of the congress, and
Vice President Fairbanks, Speaker
Cannon and Governors of the States
will act as vice presidents. Every State
in the Union is represented, and twenty.
| eight foreign countries. Two sections
will be devoted to the social, industrial
and economic standpoint, and it is in
teresting to note that these sections
will be under the presidency of law
yer, Edward T. Devine, of New York
The administrative measures which
have been put forth by the New York
City Health Department during the
able advisorship of DR.. Herman Biggs
for the past fifteen years have been
adopted by many civic communities as
working standards The decrease OF
consumption in New York under these
measures is conspicuous, being 40 pei
cent. in sixteen years-from 406 to PCS
per 100000
Certain means which Biggs hal
found important are here reproduced
from his writings:
| /. The compulsory notification b,
the physician in charge and the regis
tration of all cases.
>, Facilities for early diagnosis b,
archaeological examination furnished
free of cost by the sanitary authorities
IL 3. Information concerning the dis
ease should be given to the public b,
printed circulars and bv the press.
4. Consumptives should be visited il
their houses by physicians or trained
nurses, who would instruct the familie
and patients in regard to the necessar,
precautions. If it becomes evident tina
a patient should be removed to hos
pital or a sanatorium outside of the city
the patient should, if possible, be in
duced by persuasion to go; but, if h,
persistently refuses institutional care
forcible removal must be resorted t,
in instances where it is evident tina
the health of the community is leopard
lied.
5. Rooms vacated by consumptive
either by death or removal should b,
disinfected
6. There should be provision for re
peated visits by trained nurses to case
in tenements where the patient can no
be removed to an institution, so tina
changes in residence, the manner il
which precautions are taken, etc, ma,
be noted.
Z. Suitable food, such as milk an,
eggs. should be supplied to destitut
families by the authorities or charitabl
societies.
s. There should he provided tire
classes of institutions for consump
tives--
(a) Free dispensaries from whic
suitable eases should be referred to
sanatorium or n hospital;
CD Proper sanatoria in favorabl,
) located country districts for the care o
; early cases;
Cd Hospitals for the care of advance,
5 eases. Homeless, dependent. friendles,
. dissipated and perhaps vicious cor
sumptives are likely to be most dar
4 gerous to the community If not care
, for in an institution, they are wander
ing from place to place, living in lode
ing houses. or sleeping in hallway
careless concerning their sputum an
: disseminating infection wherever the
CO.
Q, The sanitarI authorities shoul
enforce the prohibition of splitting i
public conveyanees, in public place
and on the sidewalks.
DR.. Biggs considers that here lies III
keynote of the whole question of III
$ prevention of the disease; all classe
of people should be educated to r,
q