El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-05-10
TUBERCULOSIS IS
DRIFTING MENACE
Fifty Thousand Rowing
Cases Are Threatening
the Country.

washington, d. c., May 1O.-About
30 600 new cases Of tuberculosis are
constantly drifting about the country
without even consulting physicians.
DR. Harry Lee Barnes, superintendent
of the Rhode Island state sanitarium,
who made this statement at the ninth
annual meeting Of the National Associ-
alton for the Study and Prevention Of
Tuberculosis, pointed out the desira-
biIitv Of finding such early cases. Be
fore they are found, he said, many OF
the patients became incurabIe and IN
The Significance of blOOdspitting,
rleurisv chronic cough, and night
sweats, declared DR.. Barnes. should be
well known to the public. n large per
centage of the people had no definite
idea about the various state and mu-
nicipaI sanatoria or what consumptlVes
might hope for by entering them- states
and municipalities having sanatoria, ne
said. ought TO advertise them enough TO
LET the Deople know what they can do.
The ease with which consumptlVes
could be influenced by advertising was
well shown by the sale Of consumption
cures" The sale of patent medicine
advertised to benefit consumption mad
exceeded 1000 bottles in Rhode Island
in one wear. an average Of1I bottles for
each death from tuberculosis
Care of Tuberculnr Children.
The tuberculosis Preventorium, its
methods and its value, was discussed
by DR.. Alfred +. Hess, medical director
of the preventOrium in New YORK city
The PreventOrium," said Dr. Hess,
may be called the latest development
OF the nti-t5sbCrCulOsis movement The
first to be founded is that at Farming
dale, y. J. OtSers are being established
and we hope many viii follow. ThlS
new link in the chain Of prOphylaN1S
was forged in the link of recent knoWl-
edge ana the realization that tubercu-
lOSis is implanted generally during
childhood, and must be combated be-
fore adult life.
The preventOrium was designed to
care for the most needy group OF sub
normal children, those who are not
only poorly nOurished, but who. in ad-
ditiOn. are exposed TO tuberculosis in
lection in their homes. There is slight
value in enthusiastically preserving in
fanuS who are doomed TO die some few
years later Of tuberculosis These
children OF the tuberculosis poor are
not only predispOscd, but actually ex-
posed to tuberculosis They Will surely
die or drag down the physical and
mental standards of the rising genera
ton and Of the nation unless some
thing is done for them in time.
The PreventOrium takes 500 of these
children a year. gives them good food,
q 24-hcur day in the open air. an in
innate acquaintance with the fields
sons in hygiene. A two hour school
period is sufficient 20 keep the chill
dTen mp to grade During the three
TO six months stay at the Preventorium
the home condition Of the children is
investigated, the tuberculosis father or
mother is sent to a sanitarium. in
structiOn IS given as to cleanliness and
hygiene and relief is obtained where
necessary rom existing charitable So
cieties Every six months after dis
charge these children are visited their
condition is ascertained, and If neces-
Sary a second visit to the PreyentOriUm
IS advised. The children have so far
conserved their gains in weight and
strength remarkably we'll"
The special difficulties of fighting
tuberculosis in the rural districts were
described by DR.. Charles :. Prest,
health officer of Waterford. y Y.
The prevention OF tuberculosis in
the country and small towns" he de-
clared, lis a mans job in the fullest
degree and requires Just as much, if not
more, thought, experience, judgment.
persistence and money per capita as
The difficulties that are met arise
from the less highly developed local
government less expert and effective
health officers, less inclination to be
governed. less voluntary organization
for practical social work, greater Op-
position to even temporary increased
taxation, and the deep rooted ignOr-
ance and belief in the heredity and
fatality Of tuberculosis.
The ignorance in the country dis
tricts concerning tuberculosis is ap-
palling- The education of the rural
population concerning ventilation, the
dangers Of OYercrOWding- cleanliness OF
person and surroundings. the extent
OF the disease, its means of prevention
etc. IS one of the most important
phases OF the work that can be under
taken, as well as the most difficult"