Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-01-18
FIGHTING TUBERCULOSIS.
Modern WOOdmen Society Conduct
ing Free Sanatorium For Its
MemberS-A Business as
Well as FraternaI
Proposition.

At the last meeting of the Execu-
tive Council of the Modern Wood
men Society, held at the headquar-
tiers of the Society in Rock Island,
H., it was decided to conduct that
society's sanatorium, located at
Colorado Springs, Colo, for the
treatment of members afflicted with
tuberculosis, free of all charge to
members.
The Modern Woodmen Society,
several months since, acquired 1880
acres of land within seven miles of
Colorado Springs, an has establish
ed thereon an up-to-date sanatorium,
the tent colony plan being employed.
The first colony was opened for the
reception of patients on Jan. /, 1909.
1t is equipped to care for 60 pa
tients, to which number admissions
will be limited for the present.
The tents are octagonal structures,
with single roofs, canvass sides,
hard wood floors on solid cement
foundations, heated by central
plant, equipped with all modern con-
veniences, such as telephones, etc.,
and each tent will accommodate one
patient. An administration build
ing for physicians, nurses, dining
hall. baths of all kinds etc., stands
in the center of the colony.
DR.. j. E. White, formerly of the
Nordrach ranch sanatorium, the me-
dical director in charge, states that
only those consumptive members
who are durable, or whose lives may
be prolonged for a considerable
length of time, will be admitted as
patients. The wisdom of this rule
is apparent. Rigid medical examin-
alton as condition precedent to ad-
mission will be insisted upon in ev-
cry case, and special blank forms
have been prepared for this purpose.
A movement is already under way
to equip the second colony plant of
60 tents. Each tent or tent house,
completely equipped, represents an
expense of $3.50, and number of
local camps, or lodges, of the society
have decided to donate tents. AS
there are over 1900 local camps
of Modern Woodmen, and over
100000 members, it is anticipated
that several colonies will soon be
equipped in this way.
The members and local camps of
the society have voluntarily contri-
buted to the sanatorium fund over
1000, and at the last national
convention a permanent tax of ten
cents per member per year was vot-
ed to the support of this work.
The last official Woodmen reports
show that during the years 1891
1907, inclusive, 14.5 per cent of the
total mortality, or $3.50 deaths,
were charged to tuberculosis, and
that 1879 per cent of the total in
surance losses in those years, or So
065, 900. resulted from this cause.
AS the mortality experience of the
Woodmen Society has been unusual
ly favorable, being but 20 per cent
of the expected at all ages under the
National Fraternal congress table, a
death rate of but 6.29 per 1900
or but 4.9S per 1000, if the expert
ence of the first five membership
years be included-the heavier in
surance losses inflicted upon other
societies experiencing a higher NOR
tally may be conservatively APP
proximated.
If the Woodmen Society, with its
exceptionally favorable mortality,
finds it to be good business" to
fight consumption in this way, why
should not other fraternal societies,
life insurance companies, labor or
CARNATIONS, the national and inter-
national church bodies, ETC., find it
profitable, from the view point of
business or benevolence, or both, to
take such action?
Each life saved to the Woodmen
Society, by means of this sanator-
ium, will, it is stated represent a
saving of $1,700-the average
amount of the Woodmen policies in
force-at an expense for treatment
of approximately one-twentieth of
that sum. In the broader sense,
each life saved means the preserva-
ton to the family of its head and
bread winner, and to the state OF
useful self sustaining citizen.