The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-06-25
Mr.. Willard and A TUBERCULOSIS
SANITARIUM.

| is on drill. But it is expensive to
maintain, and unaided the profession
cannot win. They can furnish the
captains, colonies, and generals for the
great fight, but states, counties, cities,
yes, and all the people, must take hold
and build the forts and battleships,
and make the guns and ammunition.
And when they fully understand the
situation, they will do all this. For
while it will be fierce conflict, it
means life, safety, health to humanity,
and death to its destroyer only
The expense of this will be insignifi-
cant compared with the enormous loss
es resulting now, as we have seen,
from this dread disease Some of the
states have already taken legislative
action, as well as counties and cities.
Minnesota, forty years ago, was sup
posed of ITSELF to be veritable con-
sumptives' sanitarium | raised blood"
the day l was admitted to the bar
in 1868 in New York state and my
throat was always in trouble back
there. Minnesota cured me of these
and has cured thousands. But tuber-
culosis has now invaded Minnesota
in the trail of fugitives from eastern
states. The number of its victims here
is much below the average, but it is
here to stay unless we Danish it.
Why should we Motive right here
in advance of others, take action at
once against the common enemy, as
we have in the good roads movement?
And, as in that movement, the cost
will be found but trifing, compared
with with the previous losses, and
the good accomplished.
How shall we 90 about it? would
say:
First. Make suitable provision to
isolate advanced cases in hospital.
Second. Provide a sanitarium for
cases in the first stages.
Third. Prevent the spread of the
disease. When You have done the
hrst two you have practically accom-
pllshed the third, except as to cases
coming from abroad There is no
longer any question but we can ex-
terminate the plague if we will but
learn and practice the rules of the
fight against it,.
Remove from the public and from
the family every consumptiye during
the last stages of the disease. HUI
name isolation of such gives the only
promise of successful results. The
best authorities agree that by using
separate rooms for incurables, with
proper supervision, safety is insured,
even to all other occupants of the
same building. Then you can surely
have on the same tuberculosis grounds.
hospital service for those in the last
stages, without danger to others, and
a sanitarium for the cure of those
an the early stages, together with
camps, tents, etc. The incurables NAV
here, under proper precautions, be visi
ted by relatives and friends, live their
allotted time and pass away more
than is possible in the
ordinary home or hospital, while those
In the early stages will get well, in
stead of getting worse and dying as
now, and the well people of city and
county will be safe.
Of course the location of these
grounds, and their general up and sur
roundlngs, are of vital Importance.
Hlpplcrates said, go to the hills"
Physicians now say: go to the woods.
Live out of doors. Sleep in tents.
Let the surroundings be pleasant and
cheerful as possible" Still the loca-
ton should be a strategic one, and
easy of access from the territory to
be served, "ith dispensary privileges,
and physician and nurses always near
at hand.
All OF these conditions being so i'm.
portant, it would seem that neither
the county poor farm, nor an out of
the way village, nor busy crowded
mart, nor an ordinary hospital, are
suitable ..iaces for the humane isola-
ton of cure of our tuberculosis cases
But you are already saying to your
selves that it is much easier to tell
what should be done, than it is to
say what should and can be done.
While this is but too true, | nevefthe
less, viii. venture to name a suitable
location, and some of the things that
In my Judgment can and ought to be
done in the premises.
When | donated to the city Willard
Parkway, consisting of some twenty
five or thirty acres, along and ad-
Jacent to GlenwOOd avenue | re-
served unique tract of about four
acres, for an orphans home, or some
other worthy object that might be
helped later. While, under stress of
recent circumstances, | have thought
to sell it, the battle cry that has
gone up during the past year against
tuberculosis, has spelled out to nv
ears this place as splendid site for
fortress for the bombardment of
our great enemy. An old settler has
called it the most beautiful spot i'm
Mankato. 1t is in the "hills," in the
woods" place of wild flowers and
berries, of singing and nesting birds,
alive with the best that nature-the
great healer-can afford The surround
ings are as pleasant and cheerful as
possible to conceive For added to
the glad voices of nature from it's