Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-18

L2 N@AA -
kfS3EsM to Toulouse. from London to
SH Vienna, leaders Of men rallied
ihelr Vassals. The dominant personalities
civilization as IL then was. were uniting
o. the first time in history for a single
ena Godfrey Of Boullion, aymon OF
Fla ders and his namesake Of Tolouso.
Rob rt Of Normandy. son Of the Conoueror
amy surnamed lie Diable, Bohemond the
German princeling Of Tarentum, and last
an tne HELD and first In battle, the valiant
Tancred-these men were donninr coat Of
mall, hauberk and greaves. vhsttinR sword
and Sharpening battle-axe, for they were
embarking on the first crusade. Every
where the white cross was pinned on
shoulder and faces were turned toward
Jerusalem. held by the Paynim to the great
scandal of true Christian men.
n cross OF differt color is the emblem OF
the great crusade of the Twentieth cen
fury in which present day civilization lie
united with an even, firmer purpose, a
more coherent organization. and withal a
nobler purpose than in the year Of grace,
1896.
For the International war gainst the
spread OF tuberculosis has enlisted the lead
Ing men of modern times. Foremost in
the farflung battle line are the physicians
and scientists, the great Koch, Comfy Of
- GAllibNAb 81 buNdlfu III
his New York laboratory and Guthrie among
the smoke and fog Of London. In the uni
v~ersitics Of Prague, Beipsic, Bologna, Bonn
ana Berlin on the continent, in the hos
pitfalls OF England and in the sanstoria Of
America, the best minds science knows are
at work.
They are by no means alone, however.
Also pinning on the red cross. metaphor-
lcally at least, are all the host Of men
who labor for the common good of human
lty. Statesmen and sociologists. educators
ana economists, presidents and publicicts.
EDITORS legislators and philantropists OF
eVery KIND from poor farm overseers to the
heads of great organized charities. OF all
The agencies which make for good and
these are as many as the powers OF dark
ness not one can be named which is not
actively represented and an have enlisted
for the war;
surveying this mighty alignment NJ all
mat is best and most enlightened in mod
erh civilization, that convenient mythical
VISITOR the man from Mars, would prob
ably argue in an apriori way that only a
terribly great problem could evoke such
universal interest and activity. He would
be right. No petty ailment OF the body mol
ltic has stirred up this vast concourse of
efforts. no ordinary vexation OF mankind
could have reused the whole literate world.
The figures have ben often quoted. They
are too large to carry q 1.-THE of their real
and full significance. In the United States
alone 10000 are killed every year by tu-
berculosis. The average duration of the
disease is three and one-half years, so that
out OF our so, 100000, at least $50, O00 are an
uually suffering from the plague. One can
so on at length in this direction, can tell
knuy raoVxy thAt,aoAI lto 40 tIv NA-n,,cIA,,A
the world. how many hundreds indeed are
passing away from consumption as one
reads these lines. But the meaning Of the
awful figures still escapes, the ominous
scope of the disease is still uncomprehened.
IT may be that in its fullness 1t is quite
beyond grasp by the individual. but to get
a fragment at least of the import is easy.
Go one day with a city health officer on
his painful round. Or better yet, accom-
pany for only a few hours a nurse from
a tuberculosis dispensary in one of the
great cities. Visit with her the citadel OF
the plague, the small. dirty, unlighted tene-
ment bedroom. This may bring home, how
ever, but one phase OF the evil, the most
obvious one. which is the actual sutterhg
NJ the afflicted thus seen. A more careful
and thoughtful observer win gain thereby
q Vision Of factors more important to the
WOTlQ AT large AAa $50
cuIar patlent himself, grievous and depres-
sing though that be. The causes OF the
srroad NJ tuberculosis win be nlumined, te
raasons why the specter has stalked from
tanement to tenement, across four alleys
and unclean streets into insuticiehHy
lighted and little heated novels hn@OaVoo
NV noorly clad, il-fed men, women anu
children. whose powers OF resistance nav
hoen lessend by the very environment IN
which the swarming tuberculosis paciN
thrives and thrives.
The economic troubles are the grave 0no
"1Tnderfeedlng and overwork are respohslOi'
for more deaths from tuberculosis than 40
other ten factors. Rest and abundant heso'
ing are the only known means for It's cure
soma OF these facts have been brought
nome TO Omaha people the last week. Thos'
who have never seen the small tenemeh
bedroom, which is a veritable oharnel mouse
saw a replica Of 1t at the exhibition IN TN
assembly room OF Creighton institute "hei'
a. national Association for the STUDY an'
prevention OF tuberculosis had its travelling
exhibit on view.
The exhibition has been an inequalities
success and this, not chiefly for the reason
,bat a was well advertised nor that tn
whole reading public has OF late been forces
10 take an interest In the great problem l
was successful because the national ssso
.iation, aided by the Nebraska society," ma
proceeded to rouse the public In Just as N
t~elIigent a way as a careful advertiser get
his public convinced.
The exhibits themselves were, OF course
the main feature and the main factor !
forcing home conviction. These were sur
plemented and explained by imported an
local speakers, whose sxposihons "er
clear and whose words carried weight
But the men at the head Of the nations
association know that many, the great ma
iority possibly. win quickly forget tn
statements made by even the ablest OF lee
urers, while visual demonstrations WIN re
main warm and vivid In the memory lon
after the spoken word Is forgotten.
Il is nothing but the practical Application
II a well-known principle Of psyehoiog
made use Of almost invariably by HdveI
Users. even II not known by name 1t
the reason why publishers have novel
Illustrated.
The favorits breeding ground OF tn
y Tuberculosis bacili was not the only thin