The Mena weekly star., 1910-11-24
LIGHT, AIR, CLEANLINESS
A Mena Girl Tells What She Saw at
tuberculosis Exhibit Given
at Fayetteville.
To The Star.

lHiIiHBinS ou It's rights III taxing up SO
much space with an article on a sub
ject about which it has already
heard so much, and, too, with which
am incapable of dealing. But | am
sure you will not think too hard of me
when you hear why | am going to
write on the tuberculosis Exhibit. ;"
This exhibit was given at Fayetteville
by the Modern Woodmen of America
in an earnest effort to help prevent
the dreadful disease of consumption.
The English /. students Of the A. u.
were told to 60 and take notes on il.
When we reported in class our in
structor told us that if we would write
a theme on what we had seen at this
exhibit and have it printed in some
paper he would give us &c" for this
months grade. If everyone knew
and of course there are many who
have had such experiences-how hard
it is to make such a grade in English,
they would read this article through
and through and "murmur not a
word. -
The tuberculosis Exhibit was given
to illustrate and bring before the peo-
pie more clearly the causes and pre-
.ventives of the great White Plague. ;"
And so in this article | will
endeavor to make as clear as possible
to you what saw at the exhibit as
shown in this city the first week in
November.
AS entered the room | saw many
placards, maps and pictures covering
the walls. Upon investigating read
upon the first such sentences as these
Consumption is caused by germs
present in the consumptive spu-
tum;" THE poisonous spit dries and
goes as dust into other people $
lungs" Germs of tuberculosis enter
the living body through the nose and
mouth by breathing infected air;
Don't give consumption to others by
careless splitting" "Spit into spittoons
not on the floor; into gutters--not
on the sidewalk. On the maps were
given the percentage Of the tubefcu-
lar states and diagrams of human
lungs affected with tuberculosis.
Down the center of the room on ta-
bles or stands model houses for the
patients, models of sanitoriums,
sleeping porches and open air bed
rooms were shown. One model-house
for the tuberculosis patient | noticed
in particular. This was two room
house with porch around the east,
west and south sides; on these sides
of the rooms the upper part of the
wall was screened, but OH the north
side there was only a window. In
these rooms there was very little fur
niture, as unnecessary articles are Ii
able to take up the germs, but every
thing was scrupulously clean and tidy.
AS | walked towards the rear of the
room | saw. to the left, the correct
bedroom and to the right. the incorrect
bedroom. In the former everything
was perfect order and beautifully kept.
Fresh air, light and ventilation. the
most essential factors in curing tuber-
culosis were plentiful. while in the i'm
correct bedroom there was the utmost
confusion, old clothes lying on an un-
made bed, dust and disorder reignine
supreme; everything. in fact, suggest
ing impurity. In it there was no air
or light and no means OF ventilation.
In every way it seemed to suggest a
tenement house insone of the large
cities.
This sight especially attracted my
attention, for although ! have been
taught that cleanliness, plenty of fresh
air and ventilation are conducive to
general good health. The comparison
of these bedrooms showed so forcibly
the terrible results-if these are neg
lected. that henceforth promise to
take even greater precaution against
this dreadful disease. Next noticed
the statistics from the different states
and was much impressed with the
hold this dreadful curse has on the
human race. In 1906 at least $4,000
people died in New York, today there
are so, 900 cases in New York state.
This is only one of the many states in
which similar statistics are given.
My attention was then attracted by
the flashing of a blue electric light
Globe. Just below this globe read
the following sentence; This light
flashes twice every minute, indicating
the number Of deaths each minute
caused by tuberculosis in the civil
lied world.
AS left the building in which this
exhibit was given carried these words
which were on a placard in center ol