The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-04-13

6iSotiy AhpioNcu tHdt the arrest OF
the disease is almost assured. Here
the sick man or woman Is received by
a professional nurse, who makes a
! complete first-hand investigation of
the case. BY questioning the patient
r''" '""rns all the details of his family
history, mis- occupation, MS financial
resources, his surroundings, at home
or at work-the latter particularly for
NE purpose of protecting his intimates
and associates from infection. This in.
formation she records for the use of
the physician, and the department
She follows up this preliminary talk
by an inspection at the patients home.
Here her administrations amount to a
liberal education In the treatment of
tuberculosis. She instructs the patient
as to the proper handling of himself
how he must dress, how he must eat
and sleep, and tells him of the well
known ways of building up the nat.
ural resistance of his body. She also
advises al( the other members of the
household how to escape infection
frequently discovers some members in
the early stages of the disease and is
thus able to ward It of. The nurse de-
votes particular attention to diet-nu
triton being generally recognized as
one of the predominating factors in
strengthening the body's defenses.
She tells the housewife what to cook
and how to cook It, She inquiries par
ticularly whether there is sufficient
supply of fresh eggs and milk. Per
haps the family is too poor to supply
the sick man with these necessities.
In that event the state itself provides
them. The dispensary nurses have
n ade 133,444 visits of the kind de-
scribed above.
Life at Mont Alto.
This, however, is only one depart
ment of this lifesaving work. Any one
who wishes a graphic idea of the
states sanatorium work should visit
the tuberculosis colony at Mont Alto
Here, at an elevation of 1900 feet
above the sea. amid the breeze swept
mountain pines, he will find nearly
300 men, women and children. under
the care of physicians and nurses.
bravely seeking to combat the disease
in the fresh air and sunshine. Labor.
atory investigations have many times
proved that the tubercle bacillus, once
exposed to the light and air, shrivels
up like guilty thing and perishes;
and the state, in this unique sanator-
ium, is giving it's tuberculous poor
their one great chance of overcoming
the disease. This Mont Alto site is sit.
uated in the midst of a state forest
reservation of $500 acres. It is high.
COOL dry, with an abundance of fresf
spring water, tillable soil upon which
many of the household supplies can
be raised and all the attractions Of
nature to make pleasant and peaceful
the lives of the patients. There Is a
village of specially constructed cot
tages in which the incipient cases live,
and large, well equipped hospital
building for the advanced cases. AT
this sanatorium Pennsylvania has
treated up to Dec. 81, 1909 1865 pa
tients. large number of whom have
been permanently cured and a still
larger number SO effectva'lv stren~tt.
ened that they ore in far bett er con
Cition than formerly to fight the cis
eaca.
Ground is now being cleared for
second state sanatorium on the beNr
tiful site Of Creeson, which Mr.. CO.
negie has go generously given 70 tho
commonwealth. and a third site h77
been selected in the foot hills of the
Blue mountains. near Hamburg. in the
eastern end of the state.
For Pure Water.
In fighting such a widely prevalent
disease as typhoid fever, the useful
ness of central state health organi
zation is especially demonstrated.
Against typhoid local board is prac-
tically helpless. This is because tho
chief sources of infection are the wa
ter courses. Our rivers unfortunately
do not recognize state or county lines.
A municipality may prevent water pol
luton from the banks within its own
jurisdiction, but cannot prevent it in
other sections. Pittsburg may stop its
own citizens from sewering into the
streams, but she cannot stop other
communities from polluting the wa
ters from which she draws her own
supply. And the discouraging fact is
that, while one town may refrain from
polluting the stream so that another
further down may not have to drink
Its filth, its own water supply may be
polluted by less conscientious neigh
bors living upstream. Up to the year
1905 man in Pennsylvania appeared
to have lost the natural instincts of
the lower animals and seemed indif-
ferent to the danger of loading his
system with that which nature has
once thrown off as poison. Man, un.
like the beasts of the field, had taken
on the habit of discharging his offal
into the streams from which he took
his drinking water. Only some central
body, which has absolute control-over
all water courses, can accomplish a