Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-02-24
BOARD OF CONTROL OF STATE
INSTITUTIONS, DEPARTMENT.
ON TUBERCULOSIS.

INSTITUTIONS, DEPARTMENT.
ON TUBERCULOSIS.
Years Work at the State sanatorium.
80 per cent. Apparently Cured.
The following is a report set out
by the Board of Control of the work
done and results accomplished
the state tuberculosis Sanatorium
near Iowa City:
In an effort to curtail annual ex.
odus Of hundreds of citizens to west.
ern states and to afford relief to
those whose financial condition rend-
ers effective treatment here or else
where impossible, the Iowa state leg
islature. three years ago decided to
provide an Institution for the treat.
ment of tuberculosis.
The State sanatorium located at
Oakdale, near. Iowa City, was opened
TO patients on February i, 1908. For
the year lust ended. two hundred and
thirty-six pa nts have been admitt-
|e'. having reached its capacity In
November with an average of seventy
seven patients. During the year more
than four hundred have been turned
away as too far advanced to. be re-
ceived. OF the total number accept
ed only thirty-three, or fourteen per
cent, proved to be incipient or early
cases. and Of this class eighty per
cent. who renained over two months
were sent home apparently cured.
The Sanatorium was built and
equipped for the treatment of incip-
lent cases only. but while room was
available the more favorable of the
advanced cases were ccepted on trial
for treatment. OF these ninety per
cent. who remained two months show
ed marked improvement. Such graf
flying results justify making provis-
ion for the treatment of this class
OF patients. Ms
The statement that tuberculosis \
strikes down those of greatest value
to society is abundantly proven by
the fact that of the two hundred and.
thirty-six admitted for treatment one
hundred and six, or nearly fifty per
cent. were between the ages Of twen-
ty and thirty years. While generous
appropriations are being made each
year for the support of education how
much more important is it that equal
ly liberal expenditure be approved by
the state for the eradication Of di-
sease which is levying its toll Of
death annually upon hundreds Of
young citizens just as they are pre-
pared to enter the most productive
period Of life.
People all over the state have
been astonished at many of the re-
markable results observed in friends
who have been patients at Oakdale.
This will be readily understood from
the FIRST that many have returned
homeSwho hare gained from twenty
five to forty pounds, with correspond
ing Improvement in their lungs.
So accustomed have people be-
come to look upon the West as the
only place where lung trouble can be
successfully cnmbatted that it is with
difficulty they can be convinced that
this is but another popular fallacy
which medical science dong since eX-
plodsd. As an incident in point the
IexpeEience OF some who have left
the -sanatorium and gone west might
be cited.
Three patients who have done this
write~after several months sojourn in
the West that they have not done so
well there. One, physician from
1.-THE southern part Of the state, after
five months in Colorado writes, "Tell
\ the patients in the sanatorium they
!, are better off there than here" To
), many Iowa people it is revelation
that consumption can be cured al
}, all. To many others it is greater
! revelation that it can be successfully
!. treated without covering the friend
ships and associations of a lifetime
and migrating to some far off LAND
where hope lands faith to the fame!
that by some phenomenon of nature
l ,Irelief may be obtained without re
gard to the rules laid down by medic
;, al science.
The sanatorium is effecting cures
u 1t is doing more. 1t is educating the
people of Iowa to the necessities O.
j the work undertaken and pointing thu
lway to what is certain in time to re
4 suit in at least partial eradication
of the Great White Plague. 1t is
: disseminating knowledge Of sani
tatlon which will minimize infection
and remove the necessity for treat
/ ment on SO broad scale.
!. Two facts stand out in bold relic
: as emphasizing the necessity of en-
4 larging the sanatorium equipment. A
i stated above, eighty per cent. of tn
d incipient cases treatedNwere, ser