Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-10-02

water, something about birds and dis
ease carrying insects. something about
plain, every day methods OF decent
living.
Disease is not natural or necessary,
il is born of ignorance. injustice AMI
Indifference. For instance. body lie :
are practically the only transmitterS
of typhus fever but most people think
they are only an Inconvenience and an
excuse To scratch. Alcohol is the
chief cause of tuberculosis yet III
Maine most people think its chief pur-
pose is to help politicians into office.
The specialists have given US the
facts, 1t is up to us to do or die. We
must hang together or separate. They
tell US 1850 cities the size of Augusta
are swallowed up every year by death
and that we might have saved 600 OF
them. Think of it, 325,00o could be
alive today who sleep in grave yards II
only cur Boards of Health were as eff
fective as they are efficient
Let us be grateful, the forces are
gathering led by the newspapers. the
life insurance companies and the Gov
eminent. We are marshaling n
mighty host. Let us be grateful, men
Of wealth like Rockefeller, men of
science like Professor Fisher. men of
letters like Brisbane are giving their
aid. The sun is rising. The light is
breaking over the hill: tomorrow
promises something fine and splendid.
Three reasons call me tonight from
the humble work of my Office to enter
this contest:
First. Good health makes possible
sane social life
Second. Good health makes posi-
BILE safe economic conditions.
Third Good health makes possible
good morals.
Ignorance. injustice and Indifference
defeats them all. The day has come
when men are demanding not the
friendly visitor but a chance to know:
when men are demanding not a soup
house but living wage; when men
are demanding not a mortgage on
mansion in the skies, but a decent
house to live in here and now.
Good health is the one Indispensable
condition of an average noble life. a
prosperous people, sane neighbor-
hood. The sorrow and despair of a
sick soul comes too often from Il SICK
body and a sick society: S150,00O,00o
are lost annually by sickness. $780,
100000 of this could be saved for good
roads and education. Rines hill,
work of art and "a joy for fifty years
or a coughing diseased citizen climb
ing through the mud to his den, which
shall it be-
If tonight you desire YOU can build
fence on the top of the cleft. if not
you can hire an ambulance to work in
the valley, one or the other there is no
escape.
Let us begin on the fence at the top
of the cleft at once. 1t is not It's
spectacular as the ambulance in the
valley, but it is more effective. Better
begin at the beginning-it will take
longer but it will last longer. Let ig
norance depart the earth, it has cursed
us through twenty long centuries. Let
injustice go to the Hades of all foul
things, it has veXed humanity since
the morning stars sang together. lie.
indifference no longer find place in
our language VI III our iiNcS II hoo
come over the years like some foul
serpent strangling the hopes and as
pirations of humanity.
The lecturer of the evening, Dr.. A. A.
Downes of Fairfield, State secretary of
the Tuberculosis Association, then
addressed the audience and made his
address more forcible by showing
views taken from life among the con-
sumptiyes. He showed views of the
germs themselves and the manner in
which they are spread among people in
daily life. Fresh air, good food, and
rest are the only cures for this disease.
medicines will not cure it," said DIR.
Downes
The meeting as Il crusade against
this dreaded disease was a great sue
cess. The exhibit of the association
will be continued at City hall, Thurs
day, in the afternoon from 2 until 6