The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-04-23
PRESS is AN AID M WHITE PLAGUE HIGHT.

Consumption is receiving nearly one-
half mile of publicity "a week, is the
unique statement which the National
Association for the Study and Proven.
tion of tuberculosis issues. Accord
ing to some recent statistics compiled
by that body, the various newspapers
of the United States printed articles
concerning tuberculosis, which, when
measured. amounted to over $4,000 coll
,lmn inches of space in two weeks.
The investigation which the national
association conducted included all of
the daily and weekly newspapers
throughout the United States as we'll
as some of the larger journals and
magazines. In the two weeks which
were taken as standard it was
found that 5l,557 column inches of
space was devoted to the subject of
tuberculosis. If all of this matter
were gathered together at one time, it
would make newspaper the ordinary
size of 800 pages printed solid with
out any advertisements, all on the
subject of tuberculosis. If it were
arranged in one long chain, it would
make single column of matter four
fifths of a mile long and two and one
quarter inches wide.
Among the numerous agencies which
are today joining in the figh against
tuberculosis, such as the school, church
and labor unions, the press is in the
foremost rank. Never before in the
history of American journalism has the
press taken such lively and con-
tinued interest in subject pertain
ing to human health. When it is con-
sidered that tuberculosis alone kills
nearly 100000 people in the United
States every year, and that there are
at the present time at least 100000
eases of this disease in the various
parts of the United States, a suf
ficient warrant for the activity of the
press is given.
Not only is the campaign being pro
NOTED by the weekly and daily press
but it has also been taken up by the
various magazines, weekly story papers
trade journals, religious papers and
others of a similar nature. Even the
foreign papers are interested. A bull
letin sent out recently by the national
association was printed in five diff
F, ferent languages. An instance of the
readiness to cooperate in the cam
paign against tuberculosis may be
noted in the experience of one promi
nent weekly journal which devotes it.
self entirely to philanthropic and char
liable subjects. Seven years ago, wher
this paper started to publish items or
! tuberculosis, number of its readers
considered it extremely bad policy be
cause of the apparent Indifference anf
,repugnance of the subject. Today sucf
articles are read eagerly and thor
oughly.
The national association declares
that consumption will never be wiped
out until the prevalent ignorance con
corning this disease is overcome. Tt
combat successfully this lack O.
knowledge, immense amounts Of, liter
ature of various sorts are being dis
liIoulcu coHSldHCiy w i1Hih year
time thousands of tons of leaflets, ag
gregating over one hundred million
pages, are distributed by the various
organizations engaged in the warfare
against tuberculosis. But more thar
all of these individual agencies, the
national association believes that the
press is the GREATEST means of educa
/ ting the masses concerning this di
sease. If the present rate of interest
on the part of the newspaper worlt
continues, it is estimated that within
a few years every man, woman ant
child in the United States will have
learned the simple doctrines of tuber
culosis.