Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-04-29
THE GREAT WHITE PLAGUE.
Services in 5rattleboro Churches Sunday
Morning Were Devoted Largely to Con-
sideration Of the Disease.

Morning We're Devoted Largely to Con-
slderaton Of the Disease.
tuberculosis Sunday was observed by |
the Brattleboro churcnes in common with |
the churches throughout the country. |
The dangers of the disease, the cam |
paign which is being waged against it |
and the social and moral aspects of the |
question were presented by the pastors |
in various forms. In each church there |
were distributed copies of leafiet ssued |
by the state board of health, containing |
"a statement of what the disease Is, a |
number of "don'ts' for those who wish |
to avoid it, and for those who already
have contracted it, and some fitting
advice about the protection of the pub
lie. The back of the card bore a pledge
and on the front in large letters was
printed: IF you have tuberculosis no
tify the state board of health, DR.. H. d.
Holton, secretary DR.. Holton has said
often that the greatest hindrance to a
successful campaign against tuberculosis
| in Vermont was the lack Of notification
| to the proper authorities. The statute
| requires that tuberculosis cases be re-
| ported the same as any other communi-
| cable disease but in practice there are
! more deaths each year from tuberculosis
| than there are cases reported.
Rev. Roy NJ. Houghton of the Con-
| gregationai church took for his subject
| The gospel of health" He outlined
the campaign which is being carried on
| as a world wide, national, state and local
| issue and told of the simple rules for
| safeguarding the public from this alb
| solutely preventable disease. He spoke
in high terms of the efficient work which
In being done in Brattleboro under the
| auspices of the Womans club In the
| Sunday school session the subject took
more practical turn as the question
was raised as to the carpet in the par
lors. 1t was suggested that 1t was i'm
possible to keep it in a sanitary condi-
tlon and the question of taking 1t out
and having a hard wood floor put in was
discussed briefly. The ventilation of the
main auditorium of the church was dis
cussed also and it was voted that the
Sunday school request the trustees to
investigate the cost of installing an up
to-date ventilating system
Rev. Andrew Harper. jr. recognized
the tuberculosis campaign in his morning
sermon in St. Mchael's Episcopal church
by indicating the great change which
Christianity has made in the attitude Of
people toward their bodies. Before the
coming OF Christ the emphasis of reli-
gion was on the soul and the body was
"noiy subordinated Christ taught the
holiness and dignity of the body. The
'church today should stand for ali things
Whlch make better the bodily health of
the community.
In the Methodist church there was no
special observance of the day, as the new
pastor, Rev. +. A. Wells, arrived only
the day before and his morning sermon
was appropriate to his entrance into his
new field OF labor
In st. Mchael's Roman Catboli, cb,,rot
about 300 of the leaflets and tuberculosis
literature were given out to the people
IN the First Baptist church Rev DR.
John r. Cows text was Lev. 1872. This
shall be the law Of the leper in the Jay
or ms cleansing" He said I'm mart. Tho
! agitation in the vicinity bo
fectVe as to leave no one without knowl
edge or what to do. We all know that
tuberculosis is now counted a germ dis
ease not only communicable, but also
preNentable and durable in its incpiency
we Know that the first duty of every one
who has any weakness is 10 consult a
suitable physician. And we know that
there Is a duty toward family and friends
ana society at large, not to ACQUIRE dis
ease, or, If acquired, not to transmit II to
others' But we ought to know, as well.
that after the other great plaques have
been well-ngh banished, the Great
WHITE plague remains as the most de-
structive and universal disease which
ahiicts mankind. We ought to realize
the Importance Of a crusade against such
an enemy Of life and of the economic
Wel-being Of the common people. The
German insurance companies have learn
ed that it costs less to cure constructive
workmen and get them back to their Jobs
] ''''iil ~ A'tS ~ Nstlt lhT lutUl ana their
families in prolonged illness. 1t is about
time for our business men to awaken to
the waste involved in this disease
But there are some considerations that
, nave TO do with a religious attitude to-
ward this devastating plague First is
the fact that religion has always associ-
ated disease with impiety. 1t is the clear
. understanding that. devotion to God Is
mOckery unless it is devotion to every
revelation Of His mind concerning body
: and mind as well as the invisible spirit
1 Again We are to say, but with a new
meaning in the words, that the man who
e is stricken with disease because he has
neglected to learn or refused to obey the
laws of health is an implous man
and unfit to bear the Christian name
The second consideration is that re-
ligion has always sought the cure of
disease. The first medicine man was
| also a priest. The medieval charities
> were of the church. Enough has been
! wrought out in the schools to make it
: plain that the emancipation of medicine
from superstition is at the same time the
: emancipation Of religion. The men of
medicine are asking the aid of religion
= In effecting cures, and still more in the
active endorsement of all measures for
the health of society. In the name of God
: we point to the great masters of health,
? to Jenner and Pasteur and Koch. May
: the day soon come when the clergyman
a and the physician will recognize each
\ ! Otner as Drother ministers OF the great
u redemption of mankind!
The third consideration has to do with
the persistent religious belief in a king
: dom of God Today as never before the
. ! common good is being sought in ways
y that concern the immediate life of man
on this round of solid earth. To this the
= = church is devoting not little of her en-
ergies 1t therefore halls and supports
,, | this crusade for health and happiness.
= 1t urges in the name of the God of bat
!, ties and of peace that it Is better to
II build less battle ships and more men and
- ! women
. This, then, is the Christian law OF
: cleansing; the welcome and spread of
= knowledge, devotion to the rules OF sound
= health that our bodies may be fit temples
q for the spirit of God, and unselfsh re-
9 gard for the well being of others in the
- spirit of the Master Jesus Christ. Thus
" the modern leprosy will be banshed from
q the camp and the cleansed leper be re-
r stored to his place in the social order.