Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-12-14
PLAN TO FIGHT
TUBERCULOSIS
DRASTIC STEPS URGED BY
MEDICAL EXPERTS
Educational Methods Mainly Relied
On, and Appropriation of $4,000 Is
Sought from Legislature
to That End

Los Angeles citizens, always fore
most in progressive works, are planning
systematic and thorough warfare,
with the ultimate idea of exterminat-
ing tuberculosis. Not that Los An
geles is a center Of tuberculosis, or
worse off in this respect than other
cities proportionately large, but that
she wishes to stand out as city in
which the great white plague has been
met and conquered.
The prime method of combating this
dread disease will be the establishing of
an educational system whereby every
person may realize his own important
part in the general warfare. The health
officers and the physicians of Los An
geles will be foremost in this crusade,
and their watchword will be cleanli-
ness. Filthy conditions are directly re-
sponsible for the spread of tubercu-
losis, and the health officers are de-
termined that Los Angeles shall be
cleaner.
Health officer L. M. Powers of Los
Angeles has taken a great interest in
this work, and he states that all that
is necessary is cooperation. Among
the salient points which DR.. Powers
brought out in an interview with a
Herald reporter yesterday were the
construction of rat-proof buildings, the
protection of the water supply from
pollution, stringent meat and milk In
Inspection laws that will be enforced,
and sanitary methods of caring for
garbage.
DR.. Powers thinks the garbage ques-
ton the important one, and believes
that if it is made imperative that
every garbage can be a closed recepta-
Gle, and If more frequent collections of
garbage are made, the great source of
spreading disease germs will be eradi-
Gated.
Cooperation of state and city off,
cials in the matter of meat and dairy
inspection, according to DR.. Powers,
would initiate against infection.
Better Ventilation Needed
Another reform of which DR.. Powers
is an advocate is more stringent build
ing laws, so that proper ventilation
may be obtained, especially in lodging
houses. He states that the present
number of health inspectors in Los
Angeles is not sufficient to cope with
the situation.
DR.. George H. Kress, secretary of the
public health commission of the Medi-
cal Society of Southern California, is
taking a personal interest In the tu-
berculosis question and has personally
visited places in Los Angeles where
filthy conditions exist. DR.. Kress be-
lieVes Los Angeles can be made a
far cleaner city than it is at present,
il an educational system is introduced
and the people made to realize the
benefit they and their children Will re-
ceive If each constitutes himself COM
mittee of one to enforce the sanitary
laws He says there are many citi-
zens who believe that when they them
selves observe the laws they are doing
their full duty. But such is not the
case. 1t is the duty of everyone to
bring to others attention anything that
may tend to promote cleanliness, and
fellow men who have not had the ad-
yantages of education to bring them
to realization of their danger should
be instructed.
The general supposition that the
greater portion of deaths from tubercu-
losis comes from sufferers from other
parts of the country who come to Los
Angeles in search of health is not borne
out by statistics, for out of 1886 deaths
in Los Angeles last year from tubercu-
losis more than 400 were of those who
had made their homes in Los Angeles
ten years or more. 1t is true that the
incoming of affected cases tends 10
spread disease, but thorough cleanli-
ness and the isolation of advanced
cases will eventually make tubercu-
losis as rare as smallpox, and pave
the way to it's complete determination.
A bill calling for an appropriation OF
$4,000 to be used for educational pur-
noses in Los Angeles will be presented
10 the legislature at the next session.