The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-03-20
CRUSADE OF THE CHURCHES
Unite in Campaign Against Great
White Plague.


churches Of over 100 different cities
in the United States, all the principal
religious denominations. and several
INSTRUMENTATION societies, have
united in a campaign against con
sumption, according to a statement
issued by the National Association for
the Study aud Prevention of Tuber-
culosis.
Notable campaigns have been con
Quoted by the allied churches of New
York, Brooklyn, Pittsburg, st. Paul,
Milwaukee, Washington, Chicago,
Providence Baltimore, Trenton, Seat
tie, Philadelphia and many other
cities. In most of these places a
special Sunday has been set aside on
which sermons about tuberculosis /
have been preached in the various
churches. So successful has been
this method of declaring the gospel of
fresh air, that it is being adopted by
pastors all over the country
In several of the larger religious
denominations definite resolutions by
some of the local ministerial organic
ations, allying these association with
The tuberculosis movement have
been adopted.
Foremost in the fight against con.
sumption is the Roman Catholic
Church. In this church, under the d.
rection of Archbishop Ryan, of Phila-
depha. an educational crusade
against tuberculosis is being carried
into all Of the parochial and other
/ schools in its control. AS a result
over l,250,O00 school children in 49,
600 parishes are being reached. The
clergy of the church have been asked
also to instruct their congregations
on the dangers and methods of pre-
venting tuberculosis for the purpose
Of bringing the simple doctrines Of
the cure and prevention of this d.
sease to every one of the 100000
Catholics in the United States.
The work of religious bodies in the
war against tuberculosis received a
great impetus in 1905, when Emanuel
Church, of Boston, under the leader
ship of DR., Joseph II. Pratt and Rev
erend Elwood c. Worcester. started a
movement for the treatment of tuber-
culosis patients in their homes under
the supervision of the church AS the
patients held weekly meetings at the
church for instruction and advice
from the physicians in charge the or
ganization was called a class. So
successful was the Emanuel class
first years work that many other
churches throughout the country have
followed this example. and tubercu-
losis classes have been formed in a
large number of cities, in many cases.
Independently of church organiza-
tions. There are now about fifty reg
ular classes in existence, over one
half of which are conducted in con
nection with churches
The activity Of the church, how
ever as a center of education in tn,
berculosis, is of much more recent
! growth. In fact, almost all Of the
! preventive educational work of the
churches has been accomplished In
the last four months. The Nationa!
Association for the Study and Proven
ton of tuberculosis estimates that
| there are now over 10000 church con
gregations to whom the message OF
the prevention and cure Of tubercu
losis has been preached and the NUM-
Der is increasing daily
The religious campaign Is not only
undenominational, but IL is also inter
UNCONVENTIONAL. The Young Mems
Christian Association for instance
has started an active crusade against
tuberculosis. Through it's physical
department instruction is being giyer
= concerning the nature and dangers o
consumption to all Of the men ant
boys who come under that branch o
. the association, Educational lectures
G are also being held in many Of The
o associations, and, in general, tn,
+ campaign against tuberculosis is be
ing linked with the general crusad,