The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1910-04-21

homes OF the poor, many Of them Ideal
culture tubes for the growth Of the
microbes. its virulence Is especially
marked. The department in three
years has immunized with anti-toxin
1887 persons. nearly all children.
who had been exposed to the disease.
OF these only 251 acquired ia little
more than one per cent. The State
Department OF Health's free distribu-
tion of antitoxin to the poor, there
fore. has saved over 5000 lives at an
average cost of seven dollars each and
prevented contagion in several thou
sands of cases at on average cost Of
two dollars.
Battle Against tuberculosis.
In its attitude towards the great
problem Of tuberculosis, the state gov.
eminent also shows this keen sense
OF responsibility for the safety of the
people. The department of health re-
CARDS all the tuberculosis poor as In a
large sense the wards of the state. It's
efforts, in the first place. are to pre-
vent them from falling victims to this
insidious disease, and in the second,
TO assist materially In curing those
who have become infected.
The death rate from tuberculosis in
this state has fallen from. 1874 to 120
per one thousand of population in
four years. This means a saving Of
1000 lives annually.
T. 10 II N,,1 ~.
ever, the death rate tells only small
part of the story. Any work In i'm.
proving conditions must be funda-
mental, and It will necessarily take
many years before extensive results
are obtained. What the department
has done has been to lay the founda.
tion of comprehensive attack. From
its laboratory Investigations Of the
tubercle bacillus to its especially
equipped sanatoria. there Is no as
! pect of the disease that 1t does not
study and combat 1t aims to enter
at every stage into the life of the tu-
berculous poor. To many citizens the
state government is more or less OF
an indefinite idea; they seldom come
into contact with II as living, acting
| entity; II you are once stricken with
tuberculosis. however, especially II you
are poor, the commonwealth of Penn
| syivsnia becomes physically manifest
in your daily lives. In the medical in.
spection. in the physician and in the
nurses the state ceases to be an eco
nomic abstraction and becomes kind,
| helping, fc1 ering personality.
The DlspensarIes.
II you are stricken down and cannot
afford proper medical attendance.
there is always near at hand q iree tn.
berculosis dispensary, established for
precisely cases of this kind. There are
many thousands of patients In the
state who are still able to be about
and to follow the daily routine, per-
haps even to support their families.
The ia tuberculosis dispensaries are
of especial assistance TO this class.
| The dispensary physicians have treat
ed 21,227 patients and actually cured
7l2. while the condition of 2649 has so
greatly improved that the arrest OF
the disease is almost assured. Here
the sick man or woman 10 received by
a professional nurse. who makes a
complete frst-hand investigation OF
the case. BY questioning the patient
she learns all the details OF his family
history. his occupation. his financial
resources, his surroundings. at home
or at work-the latter particularly for
the purpose OF protecting his intimates
and associates from infection. This in.
| formation she records for the use OF
the physician. and the department
She follows up this preliminary talk
by an inspection at the patients home
| Here her administrations amount to a
liberal education in ~ treatment OF
tuberculosis. She instructs the patient
as to the proper handling of himself
how he must dress how he must eat
| and sleep, and tells him of the well
known ways OF building up the nat
ural resistance OF his body. She also
advises all the other members of the
household how TO escape infection
frequently discovers some members in
the early stages Of the disease and ia
thus able TO ward II on. The nurse de
votes particular attention TO diet--nu
triton being generally recognized al
one OF the predominating factors iu
strengthening the body's defenses
She tells the housewife what to cool
-~-- ------. 49, ----....-.
/ and how TO cook IT, She inquiries par
ticularly whether there is sufficieni
supply Of fresh eggs and milk. Per
/ haps the family is too poor to supply
! the sick man with these necessities
In that event the state itself provides
them. The dispensary nurses have
n ade i33,444 visits Of the kind do
scribsd above.
Life at Mont Alto.
This. however. Is only one depart
ment OF this lifesaving work Amy one
who wishes graphic idea OF ths
states sanatorium work should visit
the tuberculosis colony At Mont Alto
Here. At an elevation OF 1900 feel
above the sea, amid the breeze swept
mountain pines. he will nnd nearly
500 men. women and children. undeI
The care OF physicians and nurses
braveiy seeking 70 conrpat the disease
In the fresh air and a.susbtas Iakss