Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-02-11
President Of Anti TuberCu|O.
sis Gave Address at
0rpheum 1heater
Gave Detailed Account Of
Health Conditions in
North Dakota

is society held Sunday evening at\ the
| Orpheum THEFT tire. the following address
was delivered by DR.. Grissick, president
OF the organization;
! To the officers and Members of the
North Dakota Ant. Tuberculosis .Asso.
citation:
Ladies and Gentlemen: We are agar
met in biennial session to elect officers
for the ensuing term. to receive reports
and to transact such business as may
come before us. 1t is my privilege to
present you with a synopsis of our work
for the period Just ended, what we have
accomplished and what our aims are for
the future. Thanks for the honors |
have received of being elected for three
succeeding terms as president OF your
association. This has been no empty
honor. hut one that carried with it Sc
rious responsibilities. TO organize a
movement of his kind to carry it
m in IA successful manner required some
personal sacrifice of time and energy. and
| regret exceedingly that circumstances
have prevented me giving it the atten-
ton that its Importance demanded. We
have been Fortunate. however, in having
other officers who We're loyal and enthu-
siaStic in support of our work. In this
way the shortcomings of your president
have been largely overcome by the splen-
did work that has been o by your sec
rotary and treasurer.
The question has been repeatedly ask
ed why it is necessary to have an Assoc
citation Of this kind. Why not just as
we'll nave an anti-diphtheria association.
an anti-smallpoX association. etc" | do
not know of any reason why an associ-
ation organized for the express purpose
of combating either or all of these dis
eases would not be a good thing. | be-
lieve on the contrary that it would be
50. hut there are special singled out and
given the right of way. In the first place
it is that most diseases may have their
local settings, hut tuberculosis encircles
the globe. MI kinds and conditions Of
men are subject 20 its ravages 1t
knocks at the door of the wealthy and
enters unbidden the home of the poor.
1t exists in the palace Of the aristocrat
and thrives luXuriantly in the novels
OF the lowly. Wherever man builds his
litbilalt'h, utll cSSSH HIS Nltalits ~ SN-
cesses or. overwork, lowers his powers
Of resistance by usi.,g Insufficient or
improper food. surrounds himself with
the eXpectoration Of his fellows or de-
priveS himself of the blessings of Gods
free air. there YOU will find it.
Secondly. it is the most destructive to
life o.. all Diseases. In the nation. of all
ages. one death in every ten is due to it.
and II in every three between Is and
IA. For the past biennial period in
North DAKOTA. there We're reported a07
deaths from tuberculosis. This was 500
times the recorded death from smallpox,
forty times the rate of death OF measles,
fifteen times rate Of death of whooping
cough. nine times the death rate of scar
let fever. five times the death ate of
diphtieria. three times the death rate
Of typhoid fever. twice the combined,
death rate Of smallpox. measles. scarlet
fever. w%hooping cough, diphtheria n
diabetes. and greater than the combined
death rate of typhoid fever. :mallpoX.
measles. scarlet fever, whooping cough.
and appendicitis.
Thirdly. 1t is the most expensive OF
diseases. 1t is not alone the high death
rate that makes this, but it is the pc
riod Of life in which the deaths occur-
from IL To 45-during the time il which
lives are worth most to the community
that it gets most of its victims. one in
every three deaths during that period
being due TO it. The active earning.
home-making period is the one that re-
ceives most victims and makes for our
community'S economic loss.
Fourthly. of all diseases it is the most
amenable to prevention and cure by the
adoption OF right methods Of living. 1t
is emphaticaiy 4 community disease.
and flouriSheS most luXuriantly where
community conditions are not conducive
to right living. poorly and filthy sur
roundings. insufficient and improper
food. facilitating excuses. dissipation,
insufficient rest. overwork. i~ntemperance
and Ignorance of the laws OF health are
some of the social conditions that make
for the propa CATION and spread of the
disease. Conceding. therefore. that it is
indeed the captain of the hosts of
DEATH the principle Of the greatest good
TO the greatest number would seem to
demand that we exert every laudable ef-
for, to place it under control. Not that
this movement should supercede. sup
plant or interfere with other agencies
that have 10 do with the betterment' of
the health conditions of individual. COM
munity. state or nation. but rather that
il should work in harmony with every
other health organization in helping to
lnpSan tho ba n.}S pf 1eofb from u .1iSaaSa
enthralled people.
Filthy. The methods adopted in an
anti-tuberculosis campaign are those
which can be used most effectively in any
other health work. Infections of any
of the contagious diseases are governed
by the same laws. so that when you are
engaged in a propaganda for the con-
troll of tuberculosis You are combating
the spread of every other infectious and
contagious disease. I'he laws of health
and right living are a harmonious whole
that work for the good of the individual
and the community. no matter what their
conditions may be or from what maladies
they may be suffering.
The ti-tuherculosis movement. there
fore. has room under its banner for all
ranks n conditions of men. for all di.
visions of society. for all schools of sci
ence. religion or medicine and for all