The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-02-28
CONTROL OF TUBERCULOsIs.

nfsfA
Control rather than ctire Of tuber-
culosis is the idea behind the tuber-
culosis hospital bill recently intro
duced to the Pennsylganias Legisla-
ture by DR.. w. A. Blair Of Cam bf ria
county, and which is now in the
hands of the Committee on Public
Health and Sanitation.
The proposed law permits coun-
ties upon petition of five per cent.
of the legally qualified voters to have
placed upon the ballot at regular
election the question of the estab-
lishment of a tuberculosis hospital
together with the amount of the bond
issue which may be necessary to pay
for the erection of such a hospital.
Adjoining counties may combine in
establishing q hospital through a
similar procedure.
If the voters decide that they want
hospital the Governor is empower
ed to appoint board of five directors
for the hospital. These directors
must be residents of the county or
counties concerned. One of them
must be a woman and two must be
physicians. Nominations may be
made by any resident of the county.
AS VII CCtOlG al . llOb oIlal lCQs L hC
expenditures for the maintenance of
the hospital are limited by weekly
per capita maintenance rate to be
fixed by the State Board of Chari-
ties.
The law is not compulsory. It is
merely permissive.
Hospitals for tuberculosis ac-
cording to a bulletin issued by the
Pennsylvania Society for the Preven-
tion of tuberculosis are needed by
the counties of Pennsylvania in or
der that the spread of tuberculosis
may be checked. The State Sena-
toria, two of which are now in op-
Grafton and one of which is in course
of construction furnish ample pro-
vision for those consumptives who
wish to regain their health. 1t is es-
sential, however, to the prevention of
tuberculosis that the spread of this
disease by patients in the terminal
stages of consumption be stopped
This stage of tuberculosis usually
lasts about three months. Often it
may continue for a year During
this time the consumptive is more
or less confined to his bed. He
grows weak in mind and body. He
lacks strength and will to control
and attend to the disposal of his
sputum. Without trained nursing
he can scarcely be prevented from
making his home a focus of infec-
ton. Thus he gives his disease to his
family and those associated with it.
Patients in this stage of consump-
tion are not able to travel far-no
more able than a person suffering
from typhoid fever. The compare
lively low death rate at Mt. Alto
in 1910 Census Year, in Franklin
county there were only 2O4 deaths
from tuberculosis of the lungs (Mt
Alto is in Franklin county)-is
proof also of the fact that consump-
tives come home to die. On the 9TH
er hand the Philadelphia hospital
with less than one third the beds
at Mt. Alto has more than three
times the number of deaths.
Tuberculosis experts are there
fore agreed that the best place to
treat the bedridden consumptives is
in hospitals near the larger centers
of population, /. e., near the home of
the patient. By handling the prob
lem in this way it will be possible to
segregate the greatest number of
dying and bedridden consumptives
with the consequent reduction of the
death rate from tuberculosis.