Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-02-21

bility. Few families are financially
able to withstand the strain. Careful
estimates based on the loss In wages
during life, the cost of caring for the
patient during the progress of the dis
ease, the cost of caring for the fam
lies left destitute, and the patients
capitalized earning power for his nat
ural expectation of life had it not been
removed by death, place this loss at
no less than $4,000 per death. This
means an annual loss to the people of
the United States of 100000,
and over So, 100000 yearly for the city
of Chicago.
''Is it any wonder that the whole
world is aroused? Is it not true that
now is the time and the season to push
a relentless antituberculosis crusade?
Consumption Not Inherited.
The time was when the people
thought that consumption was Inherit
ed. It was believed that the disease
was transmitted from parent to off
spring at birth. that it developed soma
time during later life, and that once
developed there was no possibility of
cure. Some reason then for the I'M
happy victim to shut himself I'D in
his room and hopelessIy and prayer
fully await the end
But today 1t is our privilege to
preach the gospel of hope. Were it
not so, these pictures which I have
shown before you would be nothing
but gloom and worse than useless.
-TI-pT-c hg-r-rr-.s- tn "a frT+ OR
science. and the spirit of modern
medicine, we know the exact nature
and the cause of the disease. In 1892
the renowned physician. Robert Koch
Of Berlin, through the aid of the com
pound microscope, after years of care
full and painstaking research. made
what may be justly called an epoch (
making discovery. His announcement !
10 the world that consumption is |
caused by a living germ, so small that /
10000 OF them placed end to end (
measure but an inch in length. opened !
wide the doors of hope to countless /
thousands who otherwise faced death |
before their time. We now know the /
sXact nature and cause of the disease.
We know that a person having it may
it to others; but we also /
now that if taken in time it may be /
,ured and that by proper methods it
nay also be prevented.
4 Double Appeal.
My appeal tonight. then, is
iouble one-a plea for better care for
he poor consumptive who has the
disease. and q plea for more adequate
means of protection on the part of the
community for those of US who sooner
II later may otherwise become exposed
0 It's infection-for we know not when
II where it may gain a foothold, so
General is the dissemination of the
,erm under lax methods of control.
Whatever may be our efforts to-
ward the cure of those who now have
he disease, it is obvious that the great
ght should be along the lines of pre-
ention. in the. campaign of proven
ion there are certain basic principles
hat should be followed in order to
make the fight effective. First and
is the isolation or segrega-
ion of the advanced case-isolation
t home or segregation by means of
ospital care.
There comes a time in the progress
( the disease when the patient is in
apable of caring for himself. The (
eadly germs which. he gives off in ]
is sputum, become menace to his
amily and the community, unless
roper means of disposal of sputuln
re furnished. These provisions can
e best taken care of in q hospital
here some form of segregation is
ossibIe. recall an instance last sum-
Ter when the nurse found dying