Evening star., 1909-05-13
ADDRESS BY HOMER FOLKS
Work of the Recent international
Congress Reviewed.
LETTER FROM NATHAN sTRAUs
Cost of Beds for Tuberculosis Pa
tients in Hospitals-Infection
Due to Impure Milk.

specific for the tuberculosis germ. and
that no decisive word was said as to the
relation of bovine tuberculosis to human
tuberculosis, was almost the opening SEN
tence of the address of Homer Folks. vice
president of the National Association for
the Study and Prevention of tuberculosis,
at the opening meeting of the fifth annual
convention of the association. held in the
New Willard Hotel today.
Mr.. Folks, the only layman who has
ever held so high n position in the as
sociation, told the physicians and socio-
logical workers present that this conclu-
sion was not wholly new, and that the
most important result Of the deliberations
Of the international congress was the find
ing out of how the country stands IN the
matter of hospital provision for the care
Of advanced stages of tuberculosis.
Mr.. Folks stated that the census Office
shows $4,000 persons dying each year
from tuberculosis.
"If each person dying from tuberculosis
received hospital care for one year prior
to death there would be required about
10000 beds. The latest figures prepared
by this association show that the total
number of beds available for all classes
of tuberculosis. incipient as well as ad-
yanced. number about 5000, and OF this
i
5000 are advanced cases.
Cost of Additional Beds.
Applying this test to the country at
large there would be required little less
than $1,000 beds for persons In the mod
crate or advanced stages OF tuberculosis.
AS against this immediate need there are
possibly some 5000 to 1890 beds.
''The cost Of the additional 7o.0OO beds
Immediately required may be estimated as
low as $500 per bed, which would make q
maintaining this additional 900 persons.
which may be reckoned at 1.20 per day,
would amount to 81. 4.21S. T50 per af1num.
The cost OF construction may be betrayed
benefits are to be distributed over num-
ber of years. Their maintenance should.
of course, be met from current funus.
Comparing these expenditures with other
burdens which the various communities
are assuming from time to time. 1t is evil
dent that the cost of putting into effect
this the most important method of pre-
venting tuberculosis IL easily within the
range Of things. that are practicable In ev-
cry state and in every locality"
Although not read at the morning ses-
sion of the convention, a letter from
Nathan Straus of New York addressed to
Vincent Y. Bowditeh, president of the
association, was made public. Mr.. Straus
vigorous campaign against tuberculosis
has failed to check the great white
plague He backed up his assertion by
official statistics from the New York
health department., showing an Increase
of 33 per cent in two years in cases of
tuberculosis in the city which DR.. Koch
of Germany described as leading the
whole world in the fight against the dis
ease.
Increase Attributed to Cattle.
The reason for the failure to make
headway, Mr. Straus declared, was the
neglect of the mischief wrought by the
tubercu!ous dairy COW. Citing the results
of scientific investigation and his own
eighteen years experience In saving lives,
he summed up by saying that the aboli-
ton of tuberculosis will begin when 1t Is
made a crime to sell milk unless it comes
from tuberculin tested cows or has been
properly pasteurized.
"'rhe situation is far too serious" the
letter said. .for any further pothering
over bubbles about microscopic diff
ference in the appearance of the tubercle
bacilli found in man and those found In
cows"
Continuing, the letter quoted the bureau
of animal Industry as saying that one
tenth of the dairies supplied tuberculous
milk.
In closing the letter states:
Science has amply verified my expert
ence The public health service thor
oughly investigated the whole milk prob
lem and DR.. Wyman and Dr. Rosenau.
with their corps of twenty experts. proved
beyond dispute that pasteurization does
kill the germs of tuberculosis and the
other milk-borne infections. without In
any way impairing the milk. DR.. Rose
nau fixes 90 minutes at 140 degrees Fab
renheit as the minimum for efficient pas
teurization.
I'm the light of these facts I feel
that I am amply warranted In urging
this association to take the important
and necessary step forward and to at
tack tuberculosis in it's citadel-the
dairy farm.
THE progress hitherto made mas
been almost entirely in taking better
care of the tuberculosis patient. Praise
worthy as this is, it is not stamping
out tuberculosis. The abolition OF this
unnecessary disease will begin when 1t
is made a crime to sell r2ilk unless 1t
comes from tuberculin-tested cows or has
been properly pasteurized.'
Secretary's Report Read.
The report Of the executive secretary.
DR.. Livingston Harrington, showed new
membership of 600. making total of
2,1O7. One Of the most striking advances
made during the year was that thirty
four out Of forty state legislatures have
considered tuberculosis legislation. Re-
viewing the work accomplished in the
south it was shown that the fight was
carried on in Tennessee, Alabama, FlOri-
da and Georgia, and during the coming
year 1t is planned to operate in the Caro-
inas, Mississippi, Louisiana and other
southern states.
The number of state and local societies
for the study and prevention of tubercu-
losis formed during the year was 1885,
making total Of 29O; special tuberculosis
dispensaries established. So: making a
total OF 222; and the number Of sanitoria
and hospitals for tuberculosis was &c.
making a total of 29S, with a bed capacity
of over $4,000.
No other business was transacted and
sion. In the absence Of DR.. BOwditch,
the president, who is too Ill to attend,
Homer Folks of New York presided.
Surgical Section Meeting.
A meeting Of the surgical section OF the
association was held in the ballroom OF
the New Willard at this afternoon.
The clinical section will meet at pm,
and there will he meeting OF the ad-
visory council tonight at S:15. at which
there will be a discussion of the question
OF state and municipal legislation on the
subject of tuberculosis.
The meeting is to be open to the public.
The discussion will be opened by DR.. Ar
Of Baltimore. DR.. William c. White of
Pittsburg and DR.. c. o. Probst OF Column
bus. Ohio.
There will be public meeting tomorrow
in the New Willard. at which Speaker
Cannon. Ambassador Bryce, DR. Osier and
Dr. william H. welch win talk
The list Of names of directors Of the
association contains many of the greatest