Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-05-12
OUR GIRLSAT OAkDALF.
DIR. SWEZEY VISITS SANITARIUM
AND REPORTS CONDITION.
A StOng Plea for an Awakening Of
the People to the Situation.
A Great Work to be
Done.

treatment of tuberculosis. The De-
corah patients are all doing nicely.
Stella Norgard weighs over one
hundred pounds, and happy as lit
tie cherub.
The three Barker children have all
gained in flesh, about ten pounds
each. The greater part of the time,
they are confined to their beds, eX-
cepting meal time, when they are
permitted to dress and walk to the
dining room. The patients accept
this continent as a matter of treat
ment, have no complaint to make
only saving that they are .home-sick.
1t must, indeed, be tiresome to be
confined to bed so many hours, day
after day, week after week. Some
of them are at half-sitting posture,
and read what scanty literature they
are able to obtain.
DR.. H. E. Kirchner is using every
possible means to give these patients
the very best care, but he has been
greatly handicapped for want of
means. This being new institution,
so many things must come slowly.
The water has been taken from
well 140 feet deep, on hill near by,
pumped by gas engine. Most any
one would consider this water, out
on farm away from any contamina-
tion good, but the doctors say it is
surface water and not sanitary. They
are now drilling two new wells, from
which all surface water has been shut
of at 140 feet. They are now down
over 800 feet, and still going on,
searching for good water (Decorah
is supplied from we'll located in
the most unsanitary part of town,
and it is slightly over 15 feet deep
The doctor has a fine herd of
healthy milch cows, and several hun
dred chickens, which add materially
to the maintenance of the food sup
RAS Va ShS oeAhAtuA iun.
The institution is over-run, and all
available quarters used. The Board
OF Control expect to erect a residence
for the doctor, and some small cot
tages for the patients just as soon
as the weather will permit.
Patients that are admitted to this
are supposed to stay over
six months. A case that is suscepti-
Bile to treatment can be arrested i'm
much less time, and incipient cases
cured.
INDECENT (Or pOOr) patients do not
get the best treatment. Tuberculin
is the only recognized treatment for
the disease. 1t is all prepared in Eu-
rope, and the actual cost in large
quantities is about $1.OO per dose.
So the Board of Control has restrict
ed DR.. Kirchner in its use to only
those who can afford to pay for the
drug, in excess to their other treat
ment and care.
DR.. Kirchner has asked the state
to furnish him this valuable remedy
so he could use it at his discretion,
but like many other things, it was
taken off the list.
The last legislature donated $1,000 |
to make hog cholera serum, to treat
a disease that is very rare among
hogs in Iowa, while 5000 human |
lives are lost in this state every year
Of disease that is very prevalent
among human beings (tuberculosis)
and not one dollar is spent for the
serum. "Oh! constancy, thou art a
Jewell" How long shall the life of a
citizen of Iowa remain below the
value of the life of hog?
1t resolves itself back to the edu-
'ation of the people. A state can be
no higher than the moral atmos-
)here in which it moves. The Board
If Control are doing a noble work.
w iNuiiAS tuSy lOO, are ndmpefeu,
md when the last legislature took
nto their hands the workings of the
3oard of Health, and took the disin-
Getting for tuberculosis from the list
If infectious diseases. they COM
nitted a murderous. dastardly crime.
or which no civilized people will
'ver forgive them.
But we are not discouraged; the
loctors and sanitariums of Iowa are
ust beginning to fight. The masses
ire beginning to take notice; by the
ime we get our second breath, they
will be with us. Then men will be
'ent to make our laws. who know
hat human life has precedence over
hat of hog.
BY way of suggestion let me say,
4 a Sunday evening offering was