The Dickinson press., 1913-08-23
STEVENS GIVES talk
on TUBERCULOSIS WORK

More people die every year from tu-
berculosis than from any other one
cause. and measures are now being
taken Everywhere to prevent and cure
dreadful disease. A few years
ago tuberculosis was deemed incurable
but recent statistics show that IS per
cent Of the cases taken in the incipient
stages can be cured 81 $40 per cent
of the moderate cases can be cured and
IL l-3 per cent of those in the last
stages.
Last year there were 507 deaths in the
state from tuberculosis. which amounts,
on the average. to 760 years of labor
lost. This labor at the low wage Of
$3.50 per day would amount to an
enormous sum of money and a large per
cent Of this money could have been
saved the state had they better means
to cure and prevent tuberculosis among
the people.
Four years ago q state tuberculosis
association was oraanized at Bismarck
by Dr.. Fannie Quain of that city. Dr..
Grassick of Grand Forks and others.
They succeeded in getting an appropri-
alton of S37, 900 from the state for the
erection of a sanitarium. which was
completed last December and is located
in the Turtle mountains, an ideal place
for such AN institution. both as to
elevation and scenery. Last winter
the state added an appropriation of
$42, 900.
The officers of the North Dakota Anti
tuberculosis Association are DR.. J.
Grassick. president Dr.. Fannie Quain,
secretary and Mrs. j. E. Stevens of
Grand Forks. treasurer. Mrs. Stevens
has been travelling all over the state
and giving talks in the interests of the
anti-luberculosis movement with the
hope of arousing a great public senti-
ment in this work. On Sunday evening
she addressed an audience at the local
Methodist church and on Monday after
noon she talked to the ladies on ''meat
inspection She is an interesting
talker and laid bare a good many facts
that will be the cause of arousing our
people to assist in combating the prog
ress of the disease. Mrs. Stevens. as a
representative of the state association.
aims to have informed and educated
every resident Of the state on the estab-
lished facts of the disease and the
means of prevention and cure. The as
ISOLATION r~ightfully believes that it is
more profitable for the state to preserve
it's w people than to send agents to for
eign countries to induce immigration.
More money is paid by the state to in
demnify farmers or ranchers for the loss
of glandered or tubercular animals than
is appropriated for the cause of tuber-
culosis among the people.
Through the efforts of this %associa-
ton, A bill was passed at the last leg
i~slative term whereby all condemned
meat is labeled, which means that very
little of the meat of condemned tuber-
cular cattle will be placed on the mar
ket. There will still be a lot of tuber-
cular meat sold, however. from animals
which have never been examined or
condemned. Public slaughter houses,
under competent inspectors, are being
advocated. This state was the first in
the union to pass the labeled meat law.
The state sanitarium at Turtle Lake
is in charge of Dr.. Lamont and can
accommodate about 30 patients. 1t is
full at the present time and there are
many more applications for admiltance.
The charge is $40. so per week and if
the patient is unable to meet this ex-
pense his county nus pay SIS and the
state SIS. so a week while he remains at
the sanitarium. The first two patients
who entered the sanitarium last De-
cember have recently been sent home
cured, and the others are very much
improved. The place has an elevation
of /. 400 feet higher than the surround
ing prairie country and has a veiw of 9
towns and 7 lakes. so that while the
patient is by himself, he is not shut
off from the outside world, as it were.
The Masons of the state have set
apart a fund of Sc. 500 for the erection
of a cottage at Turtle Lake to be used
in this work, and a similar sum will
be used by the Workman lodge for the
same purpose. Other lodges are also
talking of building cottages on the
state sanitarium grounds.