Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1911-01-23
THE GREAT WHITE PLAGUE
IN CONNECTICUT.


IN CONNECTICUT.
Interesting Address by State Tubercu-
Iosis Commissioner Gunshanan at !
Workinsmen's Meeting Sunday Aft
ernoon in New Haven.
New Haven, Jan. 22.-At a working
mems meeting held in this city this
afternoon under the auspices Of the Y.
M. G. A. State Tuberculosis Commits
sioner John F. Gunshanan delivered an
interesting address on the white
plague and in reply to Governor Bald
wins message that public spirited citi-
zens could be found who would carry
on the future work Of the commission.
without compensation he spoke in part
as follows:
1t was about four years ago that
Governor Woodruff appointed a COM
mission to investigate tuberculosis,
which included among its number two
noted authorities from your city-the
late DR.. J. p. G. Foster and DR.. s. J:
Maher-and after two years Of careful
study the commission reported its find
ings to the general assembly with the
bill creating the present commission.
which passed that body by a unani-
nous vote, and was signed by Govern
or Weeks.
Found Sanatorium Closed.
The question recently raised of hav-
ing the work done by public spirited
citizens, without compensation, was
looked into; the investigators were
unanimous in their opinion that this
would be impracticaIblie, as it was
found that one of the states Leading
sanatoriums, managed In this manner,
had closed it's doors for lack OF inter-
est and another was having a hard
struggle to make ends meet. The COM
mission knew well that much educa-
ton on the part of the public was nee
essary which would require a great
deal of some ones time, that building
homes for sufferers was one thing and
filling them was another. And, now.
after a year and a half OF hard work
by the present commission, which am
convinced cost one member his life,
the truth of this opinion held by the
investigators has been fully establish-
ed.
Great Work by Newspapers.
The commission also found that the
newspapers of the large cities cducat-
ed the people to know that tudberculo-
sis was more of an economic than
medical problem, and chiefly through
their efforts more than $4,000 people
contributed money, through organiza-
tons, to aid sufferers of the disease;
that, also, in many parts of the state
the people only know the disease as
one affecting cattle and not human be-
ings; that in dealing with this. problem
people can be cured who never enter
a sauatorium or never have a physi
clan; that the whole question of living
enters into the stamping out of this
plague, and that the printed report of
the investigators was in demand in all
parts of the United States and COM
mended highly by leading authorities
everywhere
Prevention. Not Cure.
1t was the hope of the Investigators
that in time the sanatoriums in the
various counties would not be needed,
that the goal sought was prevention.
not cure; that only through practical
men and not theorists could such a
conclusion be brought about; that such
q monster problem as tuberculosis,
which costs thousands of lives, is not
to be solved by people who have a fad
and seek notoriety for self honor.
New Cases in December.
The health officers Of the four larg
est cities report new cases for Decem-
Der as follows:
Bridgeport 80. New Haven 80. Wa
terbury II, and Hartford 8, which ac-
counts in part to the excellent eduma-
tional work being done by working,
mems organiza tons in the Capitol
City, and which the commission hopes
to push in the other cities, now that
the work of construction of the homes
in three counties is about completed.
State Moving Ahead.
In the opinion of many. vino shape
the policy of our government, the state,
now that it has entered into this fight
which cost millions of dollars, will
move forward and not turn back; that
they will look for results; and from ex-
perience they have learned that work
done by public spirited citizens, without
com penSation, has cost several hun
dred thousand dollars more than ex-
pected, and 1 believe that had a COM
mission been appointed to build the
homes we have erected, without COM
peDsation, they would come to the
present general assembly about $500
geo in debt, instead of coming, as our
commission viii, within our appropria
tions.
Deaths in New Haven.
According to carefully prepared fig
ures, by DR.. Maher, your death rate
from tuberculosis in this city il Isl
per 10000. or about 200 a year, and
more than $50 of these spend their
last years. when the Hanger of infec-
tion is greatest, among the well beings
of your population. The doctor also
finds the deaths in your county. from
this disease. to be nearly 500 yearly.
and close to 1000 in the state.
Cost One Million Dollars.
ErOI. irving FlSner OF Y ale and 9TH
ers have given much study to the
value of lives lost through this dis
ease and the lowest average is placed
at $1,000 each, which means loss to
your city in dollars and cents of ST.
100000 annually. and nearly $4,000
600 in the state.
Number of Those Affected.
1t is generally agreed that not less
than 5000 persons are affected with
tuberculosis in the state-New Haven
alone contributing between 700 and
500 cases, and not more than one in
every fifteen of these receive sana-
torium treatment, which proves that
a great deal of work and education is
necessary in your city if you are ever
going to stamp out this preyentable
slaughter of human lives.
Treatment Of the Disease
The medical world has told us that
medicine plays little or no part in the
treatment of this disease and thew
recommend fresh air, sunshine rest of
body and mind and good food as the
essentials to cure, and some have crit
icised because We give good food to
those under our charge, but il we did
otherwise. those who have any knowl-
edge of this disease would be the first
to pronounce us incompetent, and
justly so.
We Feed Criminals Well.
A man commits the foulest kind of
is sentenced to be hanged in
our state prison, and once behind the
prison walls he is given practically