The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-07-15
DR.. Crumbine Goes to Lansing
to Examine Convicts.
Presence of Consumption at the
State Institution Alarming.
MR.. CODDING'S REPORT
Says This Is Most Serious Prob
lem at Prison.
One Third of Deaths Due to
Great White Plague.

The state board of health has bought
all the tuberculin that was to be had in
Kansas City, Mo, and DR.. Crumbine,
secretary of the board. will leave o
right for Lansing where he will test
all the prisoners in the penitentiary
tomorrow for symptoms of tuberculosis
1t is stated on authority that one-third
of the deaths in the prison every year
are due to consumption. The crowded
condition of the wards and cell houses
and workshops are most favorable to
the spread of this disease, and steps
will be taken in the near future to
prevent it's spread in the penitentiary.
]. K. Codding, the new warden, in
his report to the governor Of his nrSL
weeks work at the institution. has
asked for a tuberculosis hospital. There
! is room on the grounds for this build
4 ing most of the material needed is on
Rhands and the skilled artisans to builo
it.
After making the test on all the in
mates of the penitentiary for tuper-
culosis DIT. Crumbine will be better able
to pass upon the need of hospital Tor
the special treatment of this disease.
Governor Stubbs' idea is to make the
Lansing institution model of its kind
in the west, as the only request
made so far by the new warden is Tor
q tuberculosis hospital it is extremely
made in the near future
Warden Codding's report is of inter
est and shows improvements already
In many departments. The report fol
'sF'or fear will not get chance to
talk to you and give an account OF
my stewardship here for the past
week, let me say: We have put IN
the new dishes, a new cook; the
screens to the dining room and
kitchen are being made and will go
on this week The dog kennels nave
gone out of the brick yard; new
screens are being put on for the hos
pital. The greatest Improvement
noticeable to me is the better food
and CONSEQUENT better work from the
prisoners They are better coDtented
and their condition is more in mar
mony with the Twentieth century
ideas of prison management. we
have commenced work on remodel
ing the kitchen and will soon have it
in pretty good shape, considering 1t Is
an old building; we will have the
dining room ventilated. painted and
conditions sanitary.
'0The most serious problem and the
hardest one to solve is the tuber-
culosis question. We have tent Tor
our tuberculosis patients, but It is IN
the shade of a low damp place and
adjoining to the only open recreation
grounds that have for my prisoners
on Sundays and holidays Every cen
house has tuberculosis men IN II
There is one working with the brlck 4
plant gang: I have one for runner
and these patients are so distributed
among the men that the dlseaSe can
not help being spread. My doctor IN
forms me than 80 per cent OF the
deaths in the penitentiary are from
tuberculosis I feel that we are doing
a great Injustice to those here VINO (
have the disease and full as great an
Injustice to the men who are sent
here from over the state and com
pelled by our actions to come in con, |
a tubercl1Iosis hospital. We have
the room to put it up, the skilled /
artisans to build it and 1 wish you /
would take this matter up with Dr..
Crumbine.
.sThe cows have not yet been pur-
chased We are asked $50 head I
and find it difficult to get them Am
taking the matter up with men who /
'J,le in nv county and other COW
counties and hope to be able to fnd /
where can get them The condltlon /
Of the prisoners. except tuberculosis
patients is excellent. Only three IN
the hospital and none OF Ihelh ser
iously sick" 1
Dr Cr1mbine Of the state board of
health is sending out blanks IN COM
pliance with the recent law which re-
o,1ires that all cases of consumption IN
the state shall be recorded. The doc !
tor is of the opinion that when these
statistics have been compiled that the
number of cases of tuberculosis IN the
state will be surprisingly large |
Recent statistics show that nearly /
one million school children in the /
United States are infected with tuber-
culosis In Boston q special commits /
sion which recently investigated the |
subject found that over 1000 schooi
children In that city alone had positive |
cases Of tuberculosis. In New York 4 |
recent study showed over $4,000 tuber-
culosis children in the schools
II is claimed by the national associa-
ton that at least one-haIf of this sick
ness and possibly three-fourths of Il
could be prevented If the municipal and
state authorities would adopt better
and more hygienic methods Of con-
trolling and teaching the children and
If the public in general were alive to
the need of tuberculosis prevention
As a start in this work il is stated
that 25oo,000 of the 100000 school
children enrolled in the United States
have during the school year just closed
been systematically instructed concern
ing the dangers of consumption and
the methods for its cure and preven-
ton