Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-04-01
Common Sense War
Against White Plague

Many psepls ere psssimistsc In thsi'
|expression Of Views regarding the fu-
tufe elimination q tubsreulosls. The
we'll known dsstruotivsuess to human
life. - well - to domestic animals BY
this disease no doubt IN large meas
ure has produced this effect Of hope.
lessness. That Tuberculosis has become
such . universal plague with Its rau,i-
Acations into all parts seemingly. oi
the civilized world, is also Of general
knowledgs, which seems to % impress
many. that whom you talk Of orsani-
sation for the purpose Of introducing
measures to stop. the further spread
or TO remove conditions locally. that
are only factors In ropAgating or pro-
longing the disease-they are ever
ready with the street urchin's reply
"Aw. what's the use PIT IL this pessi-
mistic. hopeless, forlorn. do-nothing in
difference that want to arouse to ac-
ton. This state Of mind IL not only
found among the plain people. but Is
shared to q great extent by those who
have had greater opportunity 70 inform
themselves OF the advance made in
checking this disease where active in
telligent work is being done, which was
not the case q few years ago.
TO those who have kept in touch
with the organized movement for the
elimination and control Of tuberculosis,
and have taken the pains to inform
themselves Of the general advance in
this line Of work brought about thru
measures that renders the conditions
less favorable to the propagation and
scattering Of the germs OF the disease
that has been made in many states
land localities during the past Eve
years, 1t affords the most hopeful out
look From carefully prepared figures
taken from accurate statistics this
hopeful attitude INDUCED. has become
an assured fact. and that at some flu
ture date tuberculosis will be elimt-
mated from the list of our now most
to be dreaded of infectious or contagi-
Gus diseases is assured.
The purpose the writer has In mind
is to place in the hands of the reader
such knowledge concerning infectious
land contagious disease-and especially
concerning tuberculosis-so simplifled
in language that 1t may be readily un-
derstood. with which the general pub
lie Is not now familiar, that on their
part they may become organizers, OF
at least workers in this great struggle
for humanity and not antagonistic. al
, many now are thru the lack OF clear
understanding and Information.
70 Use For Dissoura5ement.
The greatest factor In the control OF
tuberculosis was known when the germ
was discovered, that all the gain thai
has been made dates from the veal
1882, (the year Of the discovery. only
twenty eight years-short years they
seem. When you remember this ano
place the knowledge side by side witt
the fact that the disease germs--ano
persons afflicted with tuberculosis
thru ignorance OF how the disease was
propagated or conveyed to others, hat
been scattering and widening thu
spread Of the disease previous to 1Ss:
for thousands of years. but now thai
we know the cause-and great many
! methods of control, isn't 1t. repeat.
! most hopeful and promising outlook
that one Of the grandest svictorfessovel
the most virulent DESTROYER OF the hu'
man race will come in the near future
I'm the final elimination Of tubercu'
flozis or -consumptidn
Needless Sacrifice Of Life.
The awful waste Of humanslife from
tuberculosis which we now know to b
a preventable disease. is SO overwhelm.
ing that we fail to comprehend 1t. 1t !.
going on SO stealthily. we do not real
lie 1t. While our foreign news DIS
patches are filled with headlines giving
startling news Of the ravages Of bu-
bonic plague in parts OF China, placing
the deaths anywhere from five to sever
thousand during the past month OF
two, the deaths from tuberculosis tr
our own country are over 16.OOO pei
month, which. seemingly. causes but
little concern. Isn't this appalling? II II
seems so. then we must close our eyes
lat the sight, and stop our ears to the
cry Of the little crippled children !,
leaves to drag out their lingering lives
and long days and wakeful nights OF
suffering. lest the consciousness OF oul
possibly being factor In allowing the
disease to continue to spread, by taking
no part In the great work that ts 60
ing on to blot It out-will reproach u
the remaining years Of our lives.
Tubsrouiosis Will Dc eiottsd Out.
Why should not this disease be elm
mated or b!otted out, or so nearly %
that when cases appear in communt-
ty the health authorities will be critt-
cized II it Is allowed to spread as II
now the case when diphtheria, small
box, yellow fever or cholera appears
It has been but few years comparative
", since our eastern and coast cities
were 80 scourged with cholera that
there were scarcely enough we'll peo-
pie left from fright and sickness In the
localities afflicted to bury the dead OF
care for those too sick to get away
but thru the study and investigations
OF scientific men and the sacrifice OF
some lives, the cause became known
filthy and unsanitary conditions re-
moved, and no epidemic of cholera has
appeared since 1880 this water and
filth borne disease has been eliminated
from communities where unhygientc
conditions were abated and not super
stitious but Intelligent people live. The
same can now be said Of yellow fever
Thousands died Of yellow fever In the
epidemic Of 1853 and In lesser num-
bers in q few epidemics since. thou-
sands were carried of in Cuba every
year &c: che past hundred years previ-
GUS to the occupying Of that country
by the U. 8. army In 1898 which gave
the opportunity to Drs. Reed. Carroll
Lanear and Agramonte to give proof to
the world that yellow fever was con-
yeyed from . person who was anlicteo
with the fever to the wen person by
the bite OF q mosquito. and this too by
or,,, one kind OF Ynos0uitO, and yellow