River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1910-01-20
The Battle Against
Consumption

| 10 DGRlH LHC SLuuy VI the LuOSICu
losis problem, it is necessary, frst
of all, TO divide the subject to avoic
confusion. 1t will be found that {
natural separation is presented anc
that discussion is bootless until il
is clearly understood that the tuber
culosis problem is primarily divis.
ible into two great classes-individ
ual and social. By the individual
tuberculosis problem we mean the
problem presented to the individual
or to the family afflicted by the
disease. BY the social problem we
mean the problem of society aff1ict-
ed. The term society is used to de-
note the great family which includes
all the people.
The predominant consideration in
the individual problem is CURE and
all that is entailed in the saving of
the life and reducing the suffering
of the afflicted person. Society, in
a broad sense, is also primarily con-
fronted with the problem of self
preservation = self-preservation OF
society, however, is not so depend
ant upon the cure Of the Individual
as it is upon the prevention of di-
sease. The dividing line between
the individual and the social tuber-
culosis problem is not absolute. On
the contrary, inasmuch as society
represents the collection of individ-
uals, the whole has the strength and
the weakness of the component in
dividual units.
When we say, Don't give con-
sumption to others, and don't let
others give it to you," we have
touched the foundation upon which
the anti-tuberculosis movement
rests. What can you as an individ
ual member of society do, if you be
afflicted with consumption, to pre-
vent giving it to others? What can
others do to prevent giving con-
sumption to you? The answer re-
quires knowledge,-to gain know
ledge requires study,-to impart it
requires instruction.
The initiated knew that consump-
ton is a communicative disease, i. e
that it is disease passed from one
to another, that it is contagious,
Infectious" Catching" 1t is
necessary for everybody concerned,
and everybody is concerned, to know
that consumption is disease which
can be acquired in much the same
way that smallpox, typhoid and the
more commonly known diseases of
childhood are acquired. This know
ledge would be useless were it not
for the fact that it is further known
that the diseases can be prevented
That there are things that the con-
sumptive may do to prevent the
dear ones of his immediate circle
becoming contaminated, that the
relatives and friends of the consump.
tive may know how to erect barriers
which will protect them from con-
a oior &c finn ornar+o1
How is the vital knowledge going
to be impaired? Obviously, the
knowing ones must assist those still
in the dark,-a large majority. So
soon as the majority or even the
strong minority of the people know
the facts, society, represented by
the government, will take steps to
provide for that instruction. When,
however, the minority is not strong
enough to control the majority, the
work of instruction must be volun-
tary and to a greater or less extent
guided by a self-assumed respon-
sibility. The financial and other
necessary support must depend up
on voluntary contributions. That
is why in the State of Wisconsin, to-
day, the Anti-Tuberculosis move
ment, directed toward the extermin-
alton of consumption, is in the
hands of a voluntary organization
known as the Wisconsin, Anti.Tub-
erculosis Association.