The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1909-02-17
ARE PLOTTING rvseRcvLos,a

state Lseisiaeurss Taking Action .
Lessen the Malady.
Only i've States in the United
States, including the District Of Co
lumbia. have laws directly compel
ling the reporting and registration Of
tuberculosis, and of these. but two
and the District of Columbia. make
very much of an effort to enforce the
law. Only eight States have laws for
bidding splitting in public places, and
in none of these States is the law
strictly enforced. Realizing the dan.
gers from promiscuous splitting. and
inability to locate tuberculosis cases
without registration law, bills are
being introduced in over a dozen diff.
ferent legislatures to remedy these
defects.
According to report issued by the
National Association for the Study
and Prevention of tuberculosis. the
reporting of tuberculosis cases is one
of the fist requisites in the stamping
out of the disease Until the health
authorities know where those afflicted
with tuberculosis reside they are
powerless to remove the dangers
caused by these infected persons. It
is now established that tuberculosis
must be classed with smallpox. diph-
iberia. scarlet fever. or any other in
fictitious disease. This being the case,
the report declares it is just as reces-
sary for the public health that II be
registered.
The most decided step in the regis
tration of tuberculosis was taken In
1904 by the State of Maryland, where
law passed compelling the report
ing of this disease. and inflicting a
heavy fine for noncompliance This
law requires that the State Board Of
Health pay $1.O0 to every physician
reporting case of tuberculosis, and
also that it furnish him with literature
and preventive supplies for the use
of his patients. This measure was in
fluenced by the success of move
melt started in New York city in
1897. to compel the reporting of tuber-
culosis. In 1908 laws modelled some
what after the Maryland law were
passed in New York State and the Dis
trict of Columbia. The State of Yer
mont had passed registration law
in 1902, and in Washington it had
been a law that tuberculosis be report
ed in the first and second class cities
as early as 1899. These laws had. how
ever. never been of much service. and
few new cases were secured through
them. Besides these States. which
have direct and special laws compel
ling the reporting of tuberculosis.
there are six which require reporting
Of tuberculosis as one of the infectious
diseases. They are California, In
diana. Kansas. Maine. Massachusetts,
and Utah. For the most part, these
laws are of little value.
The following States and Terrific
ries have regulations of the Health
Departments requiring that Tuber-
culosis be reported: Connecticut,
Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota. Montana.
Nebraska. New Jersey. North Dakota.
Oregon. PENNSYLVANIA. Philippine Is
lands. Rhode Island and Tennessee.
These regulations seldom secure the
desired results. The other States of
the Union have no laws or regulation
on the subject.
Other legislation affecting tuber-
culosis is, in the main. that concern
ing splitting and with regard to State
sanatoria and dispensaries. There are
nine States and Territories which
have laws forbidding splitting. They
are Delaware. Kansas. Maryland, Mas
sachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico.
Philippine Islands. Tennessee and Vir-
ginia Twelve states and the Dis
trict of Columbia now maintain
sanatoria or HOSPITALS for INDECENT tu-
berculosis patients. They are Massa-
chusetts. New York. lowe, Maryland.
Minnesota. Michigan. Missouri, New
Jersey. North Carolina. Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island and Wisconsin. Besides
these. in Indiana. Ohio. New Hamp-
shire and Virginia, sites have been
purchased for similar institutions,
and in Massachusetts work has been
commenced on three str::e hospitals
for advanced cases in aE,ition to the
State Sanatoriu-n at Rutland. In
Alabama and Georgia, laws have been
passed authorizing and providing for
the erection of State SanatOria. In
Connecticut and West Virginia. COM
missions are preparing to recommend
the establishment of suc,l institutions
at the ensuing legislatures.
In Washington. Oregon. California.
North Dakota, South Dakota. Mime
sofa. Kansas. Nebraska. Texas, Ten
nessee. Missouri. Illinois, Pennsylva-
MIA. Rhode Island, Connecticut. Maine
and West Virginia, active campaigns
will be carried on this winter in the
various legislatures to secure action
affecting the treatment and preven-
ton of tuberculosis.