The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-12-09
RED CROSS cARIsrMAs SHAME
Its Part in the Campaign Against
tuberculosis


quarters of the American Red Cross;
and as DR.. S. Adolphus Knopf is con-
sidered eminently the greatest au-
thority on the subject of tuberculosis
in the country, the article is being
published throughout the country to
help on the work of raising funds
for the campaign against the white
plague:
Last fall it was my privilege to
address the two Red Cross branches
one in Brooklyn and one in New
York-pleading with them to help in
the anti-tuberculosis war through the
aid of a Red Cross Christmas stamp.
| published the two addresses in the
form of an article in the New York
Medical Journal of November %,
1908. / know that hundreds of others
nay even thousands, have aslo plead
ed, and perhaps more eloquently and
more successfully than |; but this
shall not prevent me from pleading
again for this holy cause, particular
ly since | have been honored by the
officers of the American National Red
Cross with an invitation to do so.
"The history of the Red Cross is
hAoNh w hiOoN pCOBiCs II ONCo TO
origin to the feeling of sympathy
awakened throughout Europe by the
sufferngs occasioned by the Crimean
war. The object of the Red Cross
Society is in the main to mitigate the
evils inseparable from war. All of
the civilized nations of the world
have branches of this truly interna-
tional association. Founded in Gene
va in 1868, it is now not quite fifty
years old, but what a glorious work
it has done. Throughout the many
bloody wars of the last half century
the Red Cross servants were truly
the administering angels who lessen
ed suffering and saved countless
lives. And not only in wars, but also
in other disasters such as floods,
earthquakes, mining and railroad ac-
cidents, fires and pestilences, great
army of Red Cross soldiers are al
ways present to ameliorate condi-
tions, dress the wounded, nurse the
sick, feed the hungry and improve
sanitation so as to limit the fatalities
as much as may be possible The
heroism of the Red Cross workers,
both men and women, has never been
surpassed by the gallantry of the
brayest soldiers.
Nov, this great association has
undertaken to fight the most formid
able enemy of MANKIND one which
unfortunately can not be met openly
in battle; one which, by its insidi
BUSINESS and because it is unseen and
by the naked eye, is all
the more dangerous and difficult to
I.N v,1.s. Isl nj
moment 10000 people in the United
States suffering from tuberculosis in
one form or another. and 100000
school children who are probably des-
tined to die of tuberculosis before
they reach the age of eighteen. and
yet modern medical science has dem
onstrated beyond a shadow Of a
doubt that tuberculosis is prevent
able and durable disease
"Its prevention depends upon bet
tering the hygiene of the masses and
improving their living conditions, On
the early recognition of the disease.
and on the suppression of all centers
of infection arising from advanced
cases. This is to be accomplished
not with cruel isolation or treating
the unfortunate consumptive as. an
outcast, but by removing the con
supmtve poor to special hospitals
where they will be kindly treated and
the utmost care exercised to improve
their condition and at the same time
minimize the danger of injecting
others. The home of the conscienti-
GUS well-to-do consumptive, in the adj
vanced stages, can be arranged so
that there is really no danger of con
tagion.
The cure of the tuberculous de-
ponds upon the early recognition of
the disease and the timely treatment
in well arranged sanitary homes or
in special institutions. sanatoria, hos
pitals or camps, and there is urgent
need for such institutions in nearly
every state of the Union OF course,
for the tuberculous children we must
have many open-air schools and chill
drens Senatorial and for the tuber
culous adult, cured or sufficiently inn
proved to do some work, we must
have agricultural or horticultural col
onies or other means to give him out
door occupation.
Unfortunately, tuberculosis is a
disease which is most prevalent
among the poor, and after what has
been said | need not explain any fur
Their that in order to prevent and cure
tuberculosis in our own beloved coun-
try, we need a great deal of money.
All the skill of the physician and the
devotion of the nurse is of no avail
when the tuberculous patient lacks |
the means to buy good food, cannot |
afford to live in a sanitary home, have |
proper clothing, or rest when rest is |
his only salvation. The patients anX !
iety for those depending upon him |
must also be removed. The wife or |
children, the aged father or mother |
deprived of their supporter must be |
cared for Tranquility Of mind is as /
essential to the cure of tuberculosis |
as all other factors. To do all this
say again, we need money, much |
money.
Fortunately this country is rich
and it does not lack in philanthropy
and brotherly love and | know that