Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-12-31

for COnSumptlVeS not only serve as
hygeinic educators to individuals anG
families, but as instructors in hygiene
to whole communities, the unscrupu
lous cleanliness of employees and in
mates of such sanitoria thus bearing
ats fruit.
ut is evident from the utterances
of the numerous authors THAT tuber
culosis is in reality social disease
whose source Is to be found not sc
much in a single circumstance of in
lection as in the conditions of society
the prevalence of poverty, ignorance
alcoholism and other degenerating in
1uences, and that the Importance oil
public instruction in regard to the
manner in which the disease is spread
and the causes predisnosing to it;
the need of early diagnosis and treat
lent l." order to remove the focus OF
infection, which each case constitutes
the report Of all cases to the author
tiles; the value of hospitals and SAM
toria in solving this problem: the i'm
,portance of control of the supply
milk and meat, so that tuberculouS
infection of bovine origine may he
excluded; the sanitary supervision OF
public places and of tenements; the
disinfection Of houses in which con-
sumptives have lived, are obviously
desirable methods of checking the
spread of the disease.
"The social problem of tuberculosis
is an immense one and to get at the
root of the evil We must first i'm
grove the conditions and dwelling
places of the laboring classes. AS
long as the law allows the construc
ton and existence of tenement hous
es in the cities, which are built fol
purely monetary reasons, without pay
ing the slightest attention to the first
principles of hygiene, so long will oul
special hospitals and sanitoria simply
serve as recipients of the supply Of
newly created tuberculosis patients
We must provide for the education o.
the poor in hygiene in cooking, IN the
care and feeding of their children AMI
in temperance.
1T is not SO much the poverty as
the ignorance of these people which
causes them to he insuficiently Ted
1t is known fact that rich people
doj not waste any more nor as much
as poor people. This Is due to The
lack of knowledge of household econ
omics among the latter class. The!
do not know how to prepare good
substantial meal with but little cost
Therefore all girls should receive in
structions in school in the hygeine o
the household, and here is wher'
women who are philanthropically in
clined, can find a good field of labor
The sources of infection in the schoo
room are very numerous, but the pro
lection of the child from the contag
ion is more important than the ex
clusion Of the infected children from
the school, because as Heubner aha
shown, the large majority of cases Oh
served during the year OF attendance
at school are due in reality to contag
ion in the family, and it is to the pre-
vention Of this contagion that efforts
should be directed.
"The evils of intemprance should To-
impressed on all school children be
cause alcoholism is predisposing fac
tor of consumption. The young mai
who becomes Incorporate may be
come readily tuberculous. These con
illusions were confirmed by the Elm
vestigations of J. Notr, in regard tt
the causes of tuberculosis among tn
poor. He says: To the crowdint
and the insaQubrity Of dwellings. ALEC
holism is added as an important fac
tor in tuberculosis. Children Of tub
erculous parents seem indisposed tx
the use of all.ohol in their youth
Likewise the children of alcoholic:
seem 2redisposed to contract tubercu
losis in their youth.
1.-THE question Of what is to he done
with the numerous consumptives ant
poor families in which tuberculosi:
exists, is a very difficult one to an
swer, and the state and municipalitie:
will have to combine with the phil
anthropical institutions in order tt
solve it. If any government is IL
earnest in it's endeavor to comba
tuberculosis effectually, it must taks
upon itself the care and treatment q
the durable and fncurable tuberculou:
patients among the poor and those o
| limited means. BY limited means
mean a financial condition which doe
not merit a tuberculous patient tt
enter private sanitorium, or to"hav'
at home such medical, hygeinic an,
dietitic treatment as will give tn
patient the best chance of recovery
The demand on every state and cit,
treasury are enormous, and most OF
ficials hesitate to incur additional ex
pense for work which does not appea
to them as vital. The first step tt
ward gaining their cooperation in thi
movement is to convince them that
has an economic as well as medica
aspect. The effort has often bee
made and temporary interest arous
ed. That this interest was not perm
anent is due to lack of persistence OF
the part Of the agitators.
1T is not necessary to erect ex
pensive and elaborate buildings. an.
it has been shown that adequate &C
commOdations can be provided TO
from $4,000 to $4,000 a bed. AT .thi
| rate the state could care for it's tuber
,culosis patients at a minimum cost
and through the isolation and contro
Of such cases remove one more focu'
of infection from the community.
"The great social and economic ad
vantage resulting to communit.
which 8akos cara IF tfha fTJ1harcJi1Ou,