The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1908-12-16
NEED MORE BEDS FOR PATIENTS
Specialists Successful in Effort but
More Assistance is Required in
Isolation of Cases.

Fifteen thousand beds and 500 900
patients, or 400 consumptives for
every bed, is statement made to-
day by the National Association for
the Study and Prevention of Tuber-
culosis in its investigation as to the
need of beds for destitute consump-
tives in the United States.
Gathering statistics from every
state in the country and from every
hospital in which any provision what
ever is made for tuberculous pa
| tients., it has been found that the
| total number of beds provided, both
| by public and private resources, is
less than $4,000. Over against these
| figures, the National Association for
the Study and Prevention of Tuber
culosis has placed the fact that there
are, according to the estimate of the
United States Bureau of the Census,
at least 100000 living cases of tn
berculosis in this country and that
at least 100000 persons die from
this disease every year.
Centers Of Battle.
When analysed as to their geo.
graphical distribution, New York
state leads the list with 1856 beds,
while Pennsylvania comes next with
lover 1900. Colorado and Massachu-
sets each have over 1850, while
New Mexico, the next in order, has
lois beds for consumptives. Several
states provide less than twenty beds,
lamong these being Delaware, Kansas
and South Carolina, while some of
the states, such as Idaho, Wyoming,
utah and Nevada, make no provision
whatever for tuberculous patients,
either in private or public hospitals.
The Adirondack region in New
York state; Colorado, and particu-
llarly the regions about Denver and
Colorado Springs; New Mexico, Ari-
J zona, and the southwest; and North
} Carolina, are the principal resorts for
consumptives. The recent demon
STATIONS of experts, however, that
tuberculosis can be cured in any eli
! mate, has led to a considerable distri-
button of the bed capacity and has
called into existence large number
of small sanatoria, hospitals, and day
camps, some Of them with a capacity
Of only six beds. This is shown by
the fact that, while the number Of
Isanatoria during the last four years
has more than doubled, the increase
in the number of beds has been only
about so per cent.
i It May Be Cured.
4 The need for accommodation for
advanced cases is further emphasized
by the fact that every expert and
specialist has agreed on this conclu-
sion, that consumption wiki never be
eradicated until the advanced cases
OF the disease are isolated, either in
their homes or in institutions. DR..
Koch says, Every case of tubercu-
losis should be isolated as long as
bacilli are there" DR.. Arthur New
sholme, one Of the best English spe-
cialists on tuberculosis, says that the
only way in which the death-rate
from consumption can be reduced is
by segregating all advanced cases,
because these are the centers Of in
lection from which the disease
spreads.
1t is not difficult, the National As
ISOLATION affirms, to cure consump-
ition in its early stages, but it is i'm
possible to effect cure in the lat
ter stages of the disease, and, conse-
lquently, these cases should be re-
moved or isolated in their homes in
order to prevent the infection OF per-
sons living with them. But they
cannot be removed or isolated unless
Hospitals are provided for that pur-
pose; and with this end in view, a
campaign to secure more accommo-
dations for advanced cases Of tuber-
culosis is being carried on all over
the country. When enough beds are
provided. it is estimated that the
death-rate from consumption will be
cut in half and there will be an an
nual saving to the country of 1oo,-
600 lives.
|