Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-12-07

ence Oh luDeIculOSlS " do ucll'C1Su w
ID. J. Grassick Of Grand Forks, secre
tary of the state board Of health or
the subject What a World Wide Anti
Tuberculosis Movement Means Dr.
GraSsick said:
"Whcn DR.. Robert Koch of Berlin
gave TO his professional brethren the
discovery of the tubercle bacillus. ne
pressed the key that set in motion
the sanitary machinery Of the world.
Many other medical discoveries,
important though they may be, have
more or less of local setting, but
this one has a significance as wide as
the domains of humanity Such dis
eases for instance as malaria and
yellow fever, which have been the
scourge of the communities in which
they exist, require special conditions,
climatic and geographic for their de-
veloDment. Tuberculosis, on the other
hand, requires none of such. 1t is in
deed the disease of the people in a
| larger and truer sense than can be ar
firmed of any other malady. All coun-
tries. all climes. all races. all kinds
and conditions of men are subject to
it's ravages-none are exempt. 1t has
through the ages struck the death
knell of more lives than have war
and pestilence. Its trail Of death and
despair reaches around the world. The
palatial house of the rich and the
simple home of the poor are alike its
abode. 1t knocks at the door of the
afflucnt and enters unbidden through
he threshold of the lowly. 1t thrives
luXuriantly in the atmosphere of pow
erty and want, and flOurishes where
/ surroundings are indicative of com
fort and plenty. Whenever man builds
his habitation, depresses his vitality
by overwork or by facilitating eX-
! cesses, lowers his physiological resist
ance by using improper or insufficient
food, surrounds himself with the ex.
pectoration of his fellows and de-
prves himself of the blessing of Gods
{ free air. there you will find it. Being,
therefore. disease Of the masses
and whose field is the world its pre-.
vention and control must of necessity
be as universal as mankind and as
widespread as his habitations. The
discovery of it's specific cause cleared
as if by magic the sky which had be.
come overcast with clouds of doubt
and uncertainty and new impulse
for research was given to the scien-
lists of every country. A sa direct out
come of this impulse there was or
ganized the International Congress of
Tuberculosis. Here was started the
movement that has grown steadily
with the years, the marshalling of the
worlds forces under the common flag
of service for the common cause OF
humanity and against the common foe
of the race This organization has
for it's object the meeting of repre-
sentative scientists. investigators and
workers of every civilized VOuntry on
earth for the purpose Of discussing
the open problems that await our solu-
ton. of bringing together on a COM
mon platform the latest results of
scientific investigation bearing on the
problems of tuberculosis in its vari
Gus manifestations and of giving to
the world the rip fruits of its delibera-
without money and without
price"
THE United States had the honor of
entertaining this distinguished body
in the sixth International Congress of
Tuberculosis. which met at the city
Of Washington, D. c.. in 1908. 1t must
have been an occasion of especial
qualification to Dr. Koch, the illustri-
GUS discoverer of the tubercle bacillus
to meet-after a quarter of century
! of humanitarian WOrk-the represent
ltatives of every civilized country on
| the earth, who we're there assembled.
Little did we think that ere another
congress would convene that he who
through his labors had conferred such
benefits to mankind would be called
to his reward But. as has been said
b.. knopf:
"'In the time to come, and it must
come some day. when through the
united efforts of men and women,
within and without the profession and
through better social conditions, tu-
berculosis as a disease of the masses
and as an endemic infliction will be
nc longer with us, the name Of Rob-
ert Koch will stand out as the one
man who had shown us the way to
victory
THE epitaph on Charles Wesley's
tomb in Westminster might appropri'
ately be written for Koch-'God buries
His workmen, but continues his
work
| Closer Bond Of Union.
| The impetus,given by the discoverer
of the specific cause of the disease
backed by the fostering care OF the
organization just referred to. has con
tributed very much toward giving the
movement a worldwide significance
This means primarily closer bond OF
union and of good fellowship among
those who are working for common
cause. 1t will serve to foster the
beautiful spirit taught by the great
and noble Pasteur that science should
bind nations together, making wal
and discord impossible, in othe1
words it makes for universal peace
lHrue, there may spring up spirit d