Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-05-14
it Is handicapped somewhat when stat
rights are expounded.
How We Do 1t At Home

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How We Do 1t At Home
Let us see how we go at things at
home. Take for instance diphtheria
and tuberculosis. These diseases are
comparable. Each is dependant upon
a specific germ. Both of these diseases
affect chiefly the air passages. The dis
charges from these diseases both leave
the body through the mouth. Diphtheria
kills quickly. We have a horror of sud-
den death, and we quarantine diphthe-
ria. Tuberculosis kills slowly, and 50
we don't take such precautionary me-
thods.
The National Horror
A few weeks ago the world was
shocked by the deaths Of 1000 people il,
the wreck of a single steamer. IL
Minnesota last year 1000 people died
from tuberculosis, yet no one seemed
shocked Congress called an investga-
ton of the cause of the steamer S
wreck. Did you ever hear of an IN
vestigation into the methods of prevent
ing tuberculosis?
How to Control Diseases
How are we going to control these
diseases: We should so fix the patient
that germs cannot be transmitted to
other persons. Diseases do not spread
through the air, but rather by contact
from person to person.
We know that we can prevent tic
spread of disease without quarantine
In Minnesota we only quarantine for
diphtheria and scarlet fever. Quaran-
tine doesn't get the concealed cases.
the mild cases or the carriers.
Appropriations too Small
How are we going to prevent the
spread of these preventable diseases
1t is up to the people, They hire po-
licemen to watch their property and
pocketbooks, but they are not willing
to hire a policeman to look after their
lives-that is, a health O. Ger. In
North Dakota you spend quarter of
lives-that is, health officer. In
Minnesota we do a little bit better
we spend three or four cents per capita
for public health. But Minnesota spends
$3.50 per capita for education. What's
the use of educating a child to die be-
fore it is able to do anything? If the
locality would spend 10 cents per CAPT
ia and the state would spend ten cents
per capita wonders could be accom-
plished by the health departments.
Medical Supervision Of Schools
A school nurse is essential in a conf
munity If you have to choose between
the use of quarantine without school
nurse, or school nurse without quar-
antine, choose the latter. Medical su-
pervision of the schools finds all the
disease, and quarantine does not Med
ical school supervision looks out, not
only for disease, but also for defects.
A school nurse and school doctor
are indispensable.
Isolation Hospitals
Isolation of patients is an important
factor in disease prevention. We ought
to have isolation hospitals. The ad-
vancement of surgery has revolutionized
the modern hospital. A doctor prefers
to take his patient to hospital to op-
crate on him because there is less
danger of infection. If you send j
surgical patient to d hospital to pre-
vent the infection of one solitary indi-
vidual (the patient himself), in the
case OF preventable disease why can't
you send him to an isolated hospital
to prevent the infection of many? You
can look at it from any standpoint
health, sentimental, or dollars and
cents. Every city, large and small
should have an isolation hospital adapt
ed not only to the needs of the city
but for the surrounding community as
well.
Are these not the peoples programs
1t is for YOU to educate your legisla-
tors that you want something for pub
alic health as we'll as for other things.
1t is fact that we have these con-
d.tions 1t is a fact that we are aware
of them. 1t is a fact that we have the
knowledge to combat these conditions
What are you going to do about it?
Onl'' one state is doing anything real
ly worth while-Massachusetts.
These are all community problems.
A place like Bismarck ought to have
medical school supervision. 1t sought
to have an isolation hospital 1t ought
to have better provisions for public
health. Bismarck is right now better
than many other cities, but It can
make still greater progress Take an
interest in public health matters. Take
an interest in getting legislators to do
something for public health.