Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-02-17
FIGHTING TUBERCULOSIS.
Mode:n Woodmen Society VIII Conduct
Free Sanatorium for Its Members:


the Society in Rock Island, ILL.,, it
was decided to conduct that Society's
sanatorium, located at Colorado
Springs, Colo, for the treatment Of
members afflicted with tuberculosis,
free of all charge to members.
! The Modern Woodmen Society,
several months since, acquired 1880
acres of land within seven miles Of
Colorado Springs, and has established
thereon an up-to-date sanatorium. the
tent colony plan being employed.
The first colony was opened for the
reception of patients on Jan. 1, 1909.
1t is equipped to care for go patien ts,
to which number admissions will be
limited for the present
The tents are octagonal st uctures,
with single roofs, canvas sides, hard
wool floors on solid cement founda-
tions. heated by a central plant,
equipped with all modern con-
ven1ences, such as telephones, etc.,
and each tent will accommodate one
patient. An administration building
for physicians, nurses, dining hall,
baths of all kinds etc, stands in the
center of the colony.
DR.. J. E White, formerly q the
Nordrach ranch sanatorium, the
medical director in charge, states that
only those consumptive members who
are durable, or whose lives may be
prolonged for a considerable length Of
time, will be admitted as patients
The wisdom of this rule is apparent
Rigid medical examination as a con-
dition precedent to admission will be
insisted upon in every case, and
special blank forms have been prepar
ed for this purpose.
A movement is already under way
to equip the second colony plant of
60 tents. Each tent or tent house.
completely equipped, represents an
expense Of $3.50, and a number of
local Camps, or lodges. of the Society
have decided to donate tents AS
three are over 13, 900 local Camps of
Modren Woodmen, and over 1000, 600
members, it is anticipated that
several colonies will soon be equipped
in this way.
The members and local Camps of
the Society have voluntarily con-
tributed to the Sanatorium fund over
$40, 600 and at the last national con
vention q permanent tax of ten cents
per member per year was voted to the
support of this work
The last official Woodmen reports
show that during the years 1891 1907,
inclusive, IA. per cent of the total
mortality, or 3, 156 deaths, were
charged to tuberculosis, and that 10. 8
per cent of the total insurance losses
in those years, or SO. O65. 600, resulted
from this cause. As the mortality
experience of the Woodmen Society
has been unusually favorable, being
but 20 per cent of the expected at all
congress table, a death rate of but
6. 80 per 1, 000-or but A, SO per 1000,
if the experience Of the first five
membership years being included the
heavier insurance losses inflicted upon
other societies experiencing higher
mortality NAV be conservatively ap-
proximated.
If the Woodmen Society, with its
exceptionally favorable mortality,
finds it to be GOOD business" to
fight consumption in this way, why
should not the fraternal societies,
life insurance companies, labor organi-
cations, the national and interna-
tional church bodies, etc., find il
profitable, from the viewpoint OF
p, business or benevolence. or both, to
take such action?
Each life saved to the Woodmen
Society, by means of this sanatorium,
will, it is stated, represent saving
of 81, 700-the average amount of the
Woodmen policies In foTce-at an ex-
pense for treatment of approximately
one twentieth of that sum. In the
broader sense, each life saved means
the preservation to the family of its
head and bread winner, and to the
state of a useful selfsustaining
citizen.
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