The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-02-10
THE VERMONT SANATORIUM.
Its Successful War On tuberculosis
Only One Death in Two Years.

Its Successful War On tuberculosis
Only One Death in Two Years.
At the annual meeting of the YER
mont Sanatorium held at Pttsford
January q, 1910, report was SUP
mitted to the board of trustees
showing the work of the sanatorium
for the two years ending December 81,
1909. During this time 191 patients
were admitted, classified as follows;
81 were incipient, or first stage; 50
were moderately advanced, or sec
ond stage, and 20 were far advanced,
or third stage. One case of general
military tuberculosis developed
military tuberculosis developed mem
nights and died at the sanatorium.
This was the only death that occurr-
ed Two cases were diagnosed as
Neutrality-suspicious.. During this same
time 1875 patients were discharged; 80
or 20.65 per cent were apparently
cured, 70 or All per cent arrested, 20
or 1877 per cent improved, and 81 or
1856 per cent unimproved or pro-
gressive. Two cases classified as
Neutrality-suspicious. and two patients
who stayed less than one week not
considered
Taking the patients according to
their classification it was shown that
of the 20 incipient cases discharged
60 or 80 per cent were cured, or ar
rested; of the 67 moderately advanc-
ed. SO or only 537 per cent were
cured or arrested while of the IS far
advanced, only or 33 per cent were
cured or arrested
In order to show the Importance
of longer course of treatment, cases
discharged during the last year were
divided into two classes, those that
stayed less and those that stayed
more than three months, respectively.
Of the "a who stayed less than three
months average stay All days. or
176 per cent were cured, while of
the 40 patients who stayed more than
three months average stay 1875
days. 16 or 32.5 per cent cured.
Moreover the average gain of those
who stayed more than three months
was 1907 pounds, as against only
7.26 pounds for those who stayed
less than three months. This table
included incipient, moderately ad-
vanced and far advanced cases.
In order to show that the benefits
of sanatorium treatment were not
merely temporary, as full informa-
ton as possible was obtained regard,
ing rs patients who had all been dis
charged more than a year. Direct
replies or positive statements wers
received regarding "a and of these
"a known cases,27 or so per cent were
living and earning a livelihood. Hers
again, the incipient cases show IN
very much more favorably, 92.3 per
cent being alive while 1913 per cent
of the advanced cases were dead.
While the sanatorium is intended
principally for early cases that Of
fer good prospect of cure or arrest of
the disease, moderately advanced
cases have been taken from time to
time as vacancies exist, the principal
object being to teach them how TO
follow the treatment themselves and
continue it at home and to give such
hygienic training as would minimize
the dangers of infection when they
left the institution.
The figures given in this report
show, however, how much greater
the chances for cure are in the in
cipient cases and how important il
is that treatment should be begun at
an early time as possible and they
show, moreover, that in order to OBJ
tain a cure, the treatment must be
carried out for a sufficient length
of time. The mistake is only too fire.
quently made that patients feeling
themselves much improved and ben
Gifted, leave the institution too soon
and before permanent cure has
been established, with the danger OF
recurrence or relapse when they re-
surroundings.