Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-04-06
Success Of the Worcester Method
in Combating Spread Of the
White Plague.
MOVEMENT 2S MONTHS OLD
Twelve Hundred Employers of
100000 Persons Pledged to
Aid Sufferers and Improve
Working Conditions.

Worcester, Mass. April 1.-The under
taking started in Worcester county IS
months ago to bring about conquest
of tuberculosis Cmong wage earners,
through an agreement among merchants
and manufacturers to provide curative
treatment, mas had such convincing re-
suits according TO Dr Melvin @. Over
lock, State medical inspector for the Wor-
cester district that the movement has now
extended throughout New England, has
crossed the boundary line into New York,
and gone n far west as Ohio. and has
given rise to experiments In Japan and
bulgaria and inquiries from Great Brit
min. France and elsewhere.
Records kept by Or. Overlook show that
since November. 1905. when the first sys
tematic steps to overcome consumption
p1nong workingmen and women were
taken. the wage earning abilities Of moro
than 20 working people. most Of them
factory girls. have been restored and
tuberculosis has been overcome.
BY the agreement. the subscribing
members bind themselves voluntarily to
pay the charges at saritarln for pro
stationary period Of 10 weeks, or longer
for any Of their employees who have
fallen victims to tuberculosis. While the
movement now embraces Loo merchants
and manufacturers, employing 10000
persons. in the New England States and
New York and is participated In also
by employers in States as far west as
Ohio, It has developed its greatest
strength in Worcester county and else
where in Massachusetts,
PROVED CONSUMPTION Durable.
The first great fact brought out by the
plan. according to Dr.. Overlook. was that
consumption was durable. something that
had been widely disputed up to the time
the first subjects of the movement had
been declared cured. Not that all the
persons who have enjoy ed the benefits
Of the plan have been cured. but the
200 cases treated successfully represent
about 60 per cent of all who have been
discharged from treatment up to the
present time. The other - per cent, were
persons whose cases had advanced too
far to allow successful treatment, al
though some Of these patients were so
benefited by the treatment as to be able
TO resume their la5Ors
Some 400 employees are now in var
ious sanitaria or have been sent to
their homes in distant countries for
treatment at the expense of New Eng
land employers. The movement has
had big results also in bringing to the
minds of the employers the idea of
Improving the sanitary conditions in
the working places. 1t is DR.. Over
lock s prediction that because Of the
knowledge being disseminated in the
hgAt against tuberculosis the mortal
ity from all infection and contagion
will decrease and American longevity
will show a decided increase in the
next decade"
EXHIBIT WANTED ABROAD
DR. Overlock's idea and the resulting
movement have received the endorse
ment of President Taft and are favor
ed by many noted tubercular special
lists here and abroad.
The seventh International congress
against tuberculosis to be held in
Rome next September has requested
1T Overlook to exhibit there the let
tors signed by the original subscrib-
Ing 100 merchants and manufacturers.
together with other facts in connec-
tlon with that movement. The ex-
hibits will be printed in seven lam
Euages AID will give 90 the plan
Worldwide publicity.