The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-06-17
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
DON'T LET MOVEMENT DROP.
Correspondent Appeals in Behalf of Tu-
berculosis Sanatorium.

Editor, Barre Daily Times: Some time
ago, upon the initiative of City Clerk
Mackay, our civic fathers discussed the
question of establishing tuberculosis
sanatorium for Barre. The project ap.
parently met with favor, but evidence
of any action being taken seems slow
in appearing.
That there is urgent need for such
an institution in this city no intelli-
gent individual can doubt. Within the
space OF few weeks, lately, there were
no less than five deaths from tuber-
culosis, all granite cutters, and the dis
ease goes right along collecting its heavy
human toll year by year, and absolute
ly nothing is being done in a public
way to try and check its ravages., In
or around Barre we seldom or never
hear OF case OF this disease being cured,
and what Is the reason? Simply be-
cause there are no facilities easily avail
able TO the average workingman when
he first finds himself afflicted and the
disease is allowed to progress until d
cure is all but impossible.
One reason for the apathy shown re
gariing the erection OF sanatorium
in Barre probably lies AZ the belief
which is entertained in some quarters
that when one has once contracted tu-
berculosis his death warrant Is signed,
and there is little need 20 bother more
about the matter; that IL is time for
him to get information concerning the
cost of a decent funeral and for his
wife tif he has onel 10 consider we'll
the important question as TO how she
will look when arrsyed in black. And
there seems to be some justification for
this belief, judging from the wretched
ly poor results Of treatment Of the dis
ease in Barre. But yet il : ,ot borne
out by actual facts, for various existing
sanatoriums have shown by their re-
ports from sixty to seventy per cont. OF
cures when the cases were treated in the
ineipient stage. Moreover" according
to statistics in even small cities, the
result of autopsies in the hospitals STOW
that slightly over sixty per cent. have
scars, or scar tissue, in the lungs, prov
ing without doubt that at some time
they had been tubereular."
OF course in certain cases 1t would be
ambiguous to speak of absolute cures.
When disintegration OF the lungs has
taken place, it is hardly probable that
the wasted tissue can be reproduced. yet
we have it upon the highest authority
in therapeutics that cavities in the
lungs do often cicatrize and patients
have lived many years and done useful
work with lungs much reduced from
the normal size.
Already in many places where this
disease is especially prevalent, sana-
forums have been established and tx
cellent work is being accomplished, and
is it not the duty of our community
to do something towards checking the
enormous vase of human life which is
going on in this city, which we rightly
and proudly call "the largest granite
center in the worldg'
The sanatorium need not be expeI-
sive, either to build or maintain. 1t
would greatly facilitate matters 4 some
live physician would take hold and push
this along after the manner Of the
Overlook movement, which has accom-
plished such splendid wo"k among the
factory and mercantile employees of
Worcester, Mass. So successful has DIR.