The daily sentinel., 1909-02-26
FIGHT AGAINST
TUBERCULOSIS
(special to The Sentinel }

the District of Columbia. have laws
directly compelling the reporting and
registration of tuberculosis, and of
| these but two and the District of
Columbia make very much of an ef-
fort to enforce the law.
Only eight states have laws for
bidding splitting in public places, and
in none of these states is the law
strictly enforced. Realizing the dan
gers from promiscuous splitting, and
Inability to locate tuberculosis cases
without registration law, bills are
being introduced in more than a doz-
en- different legislatures to remedy
these defects.
According to report issued by
the National Association for the
Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis
the reporting of tuberculosis cases is
one of the first requisites in the
stamping out of the disease. Until
the health authorities know where
those afflicted with tuberculosis re-
side they are powerless to remove
the dangers caused by these infected
persons 1t is now established that
tuberculosis must be classed with
smallpox, diphtheria, scarlet fever or
any other infectious disease. This
being the case, the report declares
that it is Just as necessary for the
public health that it be registered.
The most decided step in the regis
tration of tuberculosis was taken in
1904 by the state of Maryland, where
law was passed compelling the re-
porting of this disease, and inflicting
a heavy fine for noncompliance. This
law requires that the state board of
health pay 81 to every physician re-
porting a case of tuberculosis, and
also that 1t furnish him with litera-
ture and preventive supplies for the
use of his patients. This measure
was Influenced by the success of a
movement started in New York City
in 1897 to compel the reporting of
tuberculosis. In 1908 laws modelled
somewhat after the Maryland law
were passed in New York state and
the District of Columbia. The state
of Vermont had passed a registration
law in 1902, and in Washington il
had been a law that tuberculosis be
reported in the first and second-class
cities as early as 1899. These laws
had, however, never been of much
service, and few new cases were Sc
cured through them. Besides these
states, which have direct and special
laws compelling the reporting of tu-
berculosis, there are six which re-
quire reporting of tuberculosis as one
of the infectious diseases. They are
California, Indiana, Kansas, Maine.
Massachusetts and Utah. For the
most part, these laws are of little
value.
The following states and territories
have regulations of the health de-
partments requiring that tuberculos-
is be reported: Connecticut. Iowa,
Michigan. Minnesota, Montana, Ne
braska, New Jersey. North Dakota.
Oregon. Pennsylvania, Philippine ISL
ands. Rhode Island and Tennessee.
These regulations seldom secure the
desired results. The other states of
the union have no laws or regulation
on the subject.
other legislation affecting tuber-
culosis is, in the main, that concern
ing splitting and with regard to state
and dispensaries. There
are nine states and territories which
have laws forbidding splitting. They
are Delaware, Kansas, Maryland,
Massachusetts, New Jersey, New
Mexico, Philippine Islands, Tennes-
see and Virginia. Twelve states and
the District of Columbia now main
tain sanatoria or hospitals for indi-
gent tuberculosis patients. They are
Massachusetts,, New York, Iowa,
Maryland. Minnesota, Michigan, Mis-
souri,. New Jersey, North Carolina,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wis
consin. Besides these, in Indiana,
Ohio, New Hampshire and Virginia,
sites have been purchased for similar
institutions, and in Massachusetts
work has been commenced on three
state hospitals for advanced cases in
addition TO the state sanatorium at
Rutland In Alabama and Georgia,
laws have been passed authorizing
and providing for the erection of
state sanatoria. In Connecticut and
West Virginia, commissions are pre-
pairing to recommend the establish
ment of such institutions at the en-
suing legislatures.
In Washington. Oregon, California,
North Dakota, South Dakota, Mime
sofa. Kansas, Nebraska, Texas, Okla
homa, Arkansas. Louisiana, Alabama.
Florida, Tennessee, Missouri. Illinois,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island. Connec-
ticut. Maine and West Virginia ac-
tive campaigns Will be carried ON
this winter in the various legislatures
10 secure action affecting the treat
ment and prevention OF tuberculosis
There was "A goodly crowd of labor
mon last night at the meeting held
It Carpenters hall under the aus
lices of the Trades Assembly for the
,urpose of discussing the question OF
EMPLOYING convict labor on the roads
4 Mesa county. Attorney Henry X.
}hone made a very forceful and able