Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1912-04-12
Unconscious COnSerVa-
tiOn Of tuberculosis.
BY c. r. Barns, Extension Di-
vision, Minnesota UniVer-
Sity Farm.

J. i. i i !. !. ! = !. i + j. i! i. i !. j.
The greatest obstacle with which
the philanthropic forces that are work
ing for the eradication of tuberculosis
have to contend is the combination Of
inertia and Indifference among our
ninety millions of people. Great
masses of people can be moved but
slowly; and in the present case the
combination named so works for the
conservation and perpetuation of
tuberculosis as to largely Offset the an
nual gains made in the heroic effort
for its eradication. Multitudes of peo-
pie, without knowing it, are fighting
for the perpetuation of the great white
plague; who, if they could be awak-
ened to a realization of the fact, would
be filled with CONSERVATION The
country is now spending, through vari-
Gus governmental and private agen-
cies, about $15,OO0,0OO annually in the
attempt to stamp out the plague.
Through this magnificent endeavor, if
it were not for the counteracting
forces referred to, development of new
cases of tuberculosis might be brought
to an end in as short a time as it
took to rid this country and Cuba of
yellow fever
Conspicuous among the evidences of
the inertia and Indifference referred
to is the habit of living, working and
sleeping in unventilated or poorly ven
tilated houses. The tuberculosis germ
revels in foul air. Everywhere such
air is the vehicle on which he ear
rives" at his eagerly sought lodging
in the human lungs. Pure air, on the
contrary, is his deadly foe; and only
by avoiding it can he hope to "get in
his work" on his victim.
Probably the majority of the homes
In Minnesota are so constructed, and
80 fortifed-especially in winter
against the introduction of fresh air,
as to make them to disease germs
what the dollhouse is to the vegetable
embryo. Every effort would seem to
have been directed to keeping out the
vitalizing air, and keeping in the foul
emanations from human lungs and
pores. Especially has this been true
since the advent of the tight storm
Window thing unknown to our fore
fathers, and the chief use of which is
to keep out the air which formerly
managed to get in through the crew
ices around the window frames. Storm
windows no doubt save fuel, but they
multiply doctors bills. Unless so con-
structed that they may be freely
opened every day they should be pro-
hibited by law in the interest Of the
general health.
Allied with the storm window as a
most effective conservator of the white
plague is the small, close, low ceiled
sleeping room, with an inadequate air
space supplementing insufficient venti-
lation. In such rooms are developed
by far the larger number of cases of
advanced consumption. The person
in whose lungs the germs have found
Judgment has fair chance of recov-
cry if he is given place, wherein to
live and sleep, that is abundantly sup
| piled with fresh air. But put him in a
close, fetid room, and his days are
usually numbered. The growing prac-
tice of adding sleeping porches" to
dwellings,, so that the family may prac-
tically sleep out of doors, is one of
the signs of hopeful reaction against
conditions which we're, and still are,
making even the country home con-
! servatory for tuberculosis.