Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1909-03-10
FIGHTING TUBERCULOSIS.

At the last meeting of the Execu-
tive Council of the Modern Woodmen
Society, held at the headquarters OF
the Society in Rock Island, ILL.,, it was
decided to conduct that Society's san
atorium, located at Colorado Springs,
Colo, for the treatment of members
afflicted with tuberculosis, free of all
charge to members.
The Modern Woodmen Society, sew
eral months since, acquired $3.50 acres
of land within seven miles of Colorado
Springs, and has established thereon
an up-to date sanatorium the tent
colony plan being employed. The
first colony was opened for the recep-
ton of patients on Jan 1, 1909. 1t is
equipped to care for 80 patients, to
which number admissions will be linn
tied for the present.
The tents are octagonal structures,
with single roofs, canvas sides, hard
wood floors on solid cement foun-
dations, heated by a central plant,
equipped with all modern convenien-
ces, such as telephones, etc., and each
tent will accommodate one patient.
An administration building for physi
clans, nurses, dining hall, baths of all
kinds etc., stands in the center of the
colony.
DR.. J. E. White, formerly of the
Nordrach ranch sanatorium, the med
ical director in charge, states that only
those consumptive members who are
durable, or whose lives may be pro-
longed for a considerable length of
time, will be admitted as patients.
The wisdom of this rule is apparent.
Rigid medical examination as con-
dition proceed dent to admission will be
insisted upon in every case, and spe-
cial blank forms have been prepared
for this purpose.
A movement is already under way
to equip the second colony plant of
60 tents. Each tent or tent house,
completely equipped, represents an
expense of $3.50, and number of
local Camps, or lodges, of the Society
have decided to donate tents. AS
there are over 5000 local Camps of
Modern Woodmen, and over 1000, 600
members, it is anticipated that sew
eral colonies will soon be equipped in
this way.
The members and local Camps of
the Society have voluntarily contrib
uted to the Sanatorium fund over
$4,000, and at the last national con-
vention permanent tax of ten cents
per member per year was voted to
the support of this work.
The last official Woodmen reports
show that during the years 1891 1907
inclusive, 14.5 per cent of the totaI
mortality, or 5, 156 deaths were charged
to tuberculosis, and that Is 9 per cent
of the total insurance losses in those
years, $9,O65, 900 resulted from this
cause. AS the mortality experience
of the Woodmen Society has been I'M
usually favorable, being but 20 pe
cent of the expected at all ages under
the National Fraternal congress table,
a death rate of but 6.29 per 1,000-or
but 4 SO per 1000 if the experience Of
the first five membership years be in
cluded-the heavier insurance losses
Inflicted upon other societies expe
riencing higher mortality may be
conservatively appropriated.
If the Woodmen Society, with it's
exceptionally favorable mortality,
finds it to be Good business" to fight
consumption in this way, why should
not other fraternal societies, life in
surance companies, LABOR organiza-
tons, the national and international
church bodies, etc., find it profitab' q,
from the viewpoint of business or be-
nevolence, or both, to take such &C
ton?
Each life saved to the Woodmen So
ciety, by means of this sanatorium,
will, it is stated, represent saving
of 81 ,700-the average amount of the
Woodmen policies in force-at an ok
pense for treatment of approximately
one twentieth of that sum. In the
broader sense, each life saved means
the preservation to the family of its
head and bread-winner, and to the
state of useful, self sustaining citi,
zen.