Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1914-12-16


about nineteen new persons contract
the disease from them before they die,
so that about thirty-eight tuberculous
persons in kandiyohi County would
be the reasonable number to expect,
who ought to have sanatorium treat
ment.
AS to Dr. Rains investigation" it
was admitted at the private discus
sion above referred to by DR.. Rains
himself, that his investigation consist
ed in calling up by phone such phys
icians as he could conveniently reach,
and asking them what cases they had
at the time. Two physicians who were
present at the discussion stated that
they had cases before and since DR..
Rains called up, but did not happen
to have any just then. This is the u.s.
ual result Of such telephone investi.
cation. In Blue Earth County &C.,
900 population) which has one-half
more population than Kandiyohi, Co.,
900 population) there we're twenty
two deaths in 1913. The reports Of
Blue Earth physicians showed TWEEN
ty-fve living cases; but careful in
vestigation by the State Board of
Health resulted in listing by name and
address, sixty-six living cases which
were found to be in an infectious
state, and twenty others which soon
would develop to that point. There
can be no question that similar in
vestigation amongst the people, not
amongst the physicians, in Kandiyohi
County, would show thirty to forty
active consumptives in the county
capable Of giving the disease to 9TH
ers. I do not for a moment doubt the
truth of DR.. Rains figures; but they
do not represent the actual amount
Of consumption in the county; they
represent merely the number Of cases
of consumption which happened to be
under the care of the physicians
whom DR.. Rains happened to call up
on the particular day that he called
them.
The question is, shall Kandiyohi
County go on indefinitely carrying
twenty deaths year from tubercu
losis on account of lack Of proper
methods Of prevention; and such evi
dence as DR.. Rains presents is worth
less to decide that question; as worth
less as counting rain drops on win
dow pane would be in estimating mex
years grain crop.
DR.. Johnson's second argument re
lates to whether or not it is practicable
to isolate advanced infectious cases or
venting spread of the disease. Thir
ty-five counties in Minnesota think SO
and have so voted. Wisconsin did 81
years ago and is now reaping tn
benefit in a declining tuberculosis
death rate. Minnesotas death rat
from tuberculosis has not diminished
in twenty years, despite increase il
poulation. Years ago, before the in
fectiousness of tuberculosis had BEEF
as fully recognized as it is today
Newsholme, the great statistician
compiled figures on the tuberculosi
death rate of all the great countrie
Of the world. He found some wer
stationary, some had diminished Ii
tie, a few had diminished much. H
then sought to account for these di
ferences by comparing the differen
countries as to wealth, advance
sanitation, general education, and a
the other things which have been pr
posed by various enthusiasts as pr
venting or reducing tuberculosis. H
found the diminution in tuberculos
in different countries corresponds
with one thing, and one thing onl
and that was the degree to which a.
vanced cases of consumption wei
isolated and so prevented from pas
ing the disease on from one gener
ton to another. Where they were is
lated, tuberculosis diminished; whel
they were not isolated, tuberculos
remained stationary, and every ca
produced it's old old average Of OF
case more before it died.
AS to DR.. Johnson's unfortunate re
erence to leprosy, it is true that tt
method of isolating infectious cas-
was applied to leprosy with compile
success-and exactly the same met
cd, isolation, is applied to every
fictitious disease which we desire
keep from spreading, including me
sizes, humps, scarlet fever, chicke
pox, etc. I do not see that the 81
cessful use of isolation in leprosy,
disease much more slow, much lie
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