Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-06-17
NEW TEST FOR TUBERCULOSIS.
Board Of Control Adopts Simple Plan to
Determine Existence Of tuberculosis.

Through the opthalmic test the state
board of control and Mr.. Hepford are
making great progress in the matter
of stamping out tuberculosis in Iowa.
One of the difficulties in the past has
been the testing of persons suspected
of having tuberculosis. Now it has
been discovered that by dropping a
little of the serum in a PERSONS eye a
test can be made at once that is quite
perfect and harmless If the person
has tuberculosis in the slightest de-
gree the eye will become inflamed for
a time. If the person does not have
tuberculosis the serum will cause no
effect whatever on the eye.
& There can be no possible damage to
the eve from the incubation by
serum. Serum is made by process
in which the tuberculosis germs are
boiled and so Of course, killed, and an
extract is then taken which is the
serum. There is no possible way by
which a person can be given
tuberculosis by dropping the serum in
the eye. but it has been discovered
that by so doing sure and simple
test is had whether or not person
has tuberculosis.
Plans are now being worked out to
carry this test ON extensive lines. BY
testing people everywhere for tuber-
culosis it can soon be ascertained just
how extensive the disease is and per-
sons having the trouble will then be
instructed On how to treat themselves
so as to quickly recover from the dis
ease. 1t is claimed by those who are
competent to make the assertion that
the cure of tuberculosis is easy and
simple if the disease is discovered in
time. In years gone by there has been
a dread on the part of persons suspect
ing that they have tuberculosis at the
thought of discovering the truth.
They have allowed the disease to
creep upon them and progress to the
last stages before doing anything to
combat it because Of the feeling that
nothing could be done anyway and be-
cause of the unwillingness to be per-
suaded that they actually had it.
The state board of control is con-
vinced that tuberculosis can be cured
in Iowa as we'll as anywhere and can
5e cured by the patient himself in his
own home by the open air treatment
and by the use of proper food and
proper care of the body. When dis
covered in the early stages of the dis
ease this treatment readily effects a
perfect cure but with people troubled
with the disease in the well developed
form living in large cities and
spreading the disease by splitting on
the sidewalks and in cars and public
buildings the disease can never be
eliminated completely.
Now that the ophthalmic test has
been discovered every person in the
state can be tested and those having
il in the early stages can be cured be-
fore the disease has progressed past
the stage at whichiit can be cured.
Those having it in the advanced stage
can be isolated and thus keep the dis
ease from spreading. Those who are
deeply interested in the work of COM
batting the disease are coming more
and more to believe that there must
be cooperation in the work so that it
will not be confined to treating the
disease in humans only, but will ex-
tend to animals as we'll. The state
board of agriculture is now investigat-
ing the extent of the disease among
cattle and hogs. But until the dis
ease is stamped out among animals
it can never be stamped out in the
family. Furthermore it is believed