The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-08-13
MICHIGAN REPORT
ON TUBERCULOSIS
SECOND YEARLY REVIEW OF
STATE ASSOCIATION, SHOWS
COUNTY NEEDS A
SANITORlUM.

Copies OF the second annual report
of the Michigan Association for the
Prevention and Relief OF tuberculosis
have been received and il is an i'm
teresting and instructive document
containing a total of 2l6 pages hlled
with accounts and statistics of the night
against the white plague throughout
the state. These statistics and the
other information contained in the
book are taken. for the most part,
from the several reports made To the
secretary of the state association by
the secretaries OF the 80 local branch
es now organized within the state.
The book contains two cartoon
frontispieces. each of which is a strong
argument in favor of the sanitorium
which the Houghton county board OF
supervisors is planning for this coun-
", one of them being a general ar
gument i'm favor of tuberculosis SAN
itoria and the other containing a very
conclusive and specific argument ro>
the building of the Houghton county
sanitorium. This last mentioned car
toon was drawn by DR. H. II. Cum
mings and represents scene in a
cemetery, the monuments in the Gene
terry varying I'm size as does the num-
Der of deaths from tuberculosis in the
various counties of the state during
1909 Houghton has the third monu
ment IN size, being exceeded only by
Wayne and Kent counties in the num-
her Of persons dying from the dread
disease.
How Sanitorium Will Help.
In Wayne county which includes the
city of Detroit $50 tuberculosis vic
Tins died in the year and ia Kent |
county where Grand Rapids is sit
uated, the number killed by the |
scourge was l4S, the number in this /
county being only AS less than the !
latter. Authorities and students OF |
the white plague" have discovered |
that the larger cities, as a rule, have /
a much larger percentage Of deaths |
from the disease than do, the smaller |
communities, this fact generally being |
attributed 20 the fact that the cen- |
ters of population get less of pure I
air and sunlight the two greatest |
curative agents for the disease. than /
DO the people who live in smaller |
towns and more rural communities. /
Houghton county is supposed 20 be /
classified among the rural counties \
of the state and, with the naturally |
healthy climatic conditions that eX- /
list here should have q very low death I
rate from the white plague" rather |
than the very high rate that actually !
exists. There are various theories I
to account for this high death rate (
from tuberculosis and the terrible pre- /
valence Of the scourge here.
Some people are asking how the .
operation Of the proposed sanitorium
viii help conditions. The people who /
have made study of the disease
declare that the greatest menace from
il is the alarmingly easy manner in
which it IS communicated from per-
son who is affected by it to one who
is not. Within the past ten days
five Houghton county sufferers from
the disease i'm its advanced stages
have died tt is probable that all of
these lives could have been saved
had the proper care been given to them
in the early stages Of the disease and
Il as quite as probable that each of
the sufferers have left five other per
sons infected with the tubercular /
germ. It Is the plan and purpose that |
the tuberculosis sanitorium shall get
all these advanced cases and some
that are less far advanced thereby
arresting the terrible spreading OF /
the Infection and, in many cases az
fecting cures of the sgmi-odvanced |
cases
Great Economic Loss Results.
The report Of the state society shows |
that the health officers of the state
reported 35ll cases Of tuberculosis |
during a.. year and that PASS OF these !
cases resulted in the death of the !
diseased persons AS stated in the first
part Of this article. Houghton county
IS third In the list Of deaths. of the
1872 cases reported 100 having died
from the disease. At Kalamazoo the
local tuberculosis society es-
tablished q tent colony and have taken
other means 20 check tho progress OF
the plague the result being notice
able in the number of deaths as COM
pared with the number Of cases re-
ported. only so dying out Of 152 re-
ported. In his report to the state
association. Secretary J. p. McCar
thy of the Kalamazoo society, says,
Three patients at the colony have
been discharged upon being prouounc-
ed cured and two others have left
Of their own accord, much improved
but not pronounced cured" This IL
Illustrates. in a small way. what san
itorium can accomplish and what is
10 be expected from the institution to
be erected here.
BAND CONCERTS TONIGHT.