Evening star., 1914-12-25


try, the proceeds of which in seven
years have amounted to s1,90o.000 dur
ing the brief holiday season alone, is
furnishing the ammunition for the
greatest war in the history of the
United States.
This is what the Red Cross Christ
mas seal sale has accomplished 1t is
the chief means of support for the now
nation-wide campaign against the
great white plague. 1t has enlisted an
army of 100000 workers, who have dis
tributed hundreds of millions of these
little messages of cheer.
Great as has been the financial as
sIstance from this effort in truest
Christmas spirit. 1t is counted as moth
Ing when compared with the educa-
tional propaganda it has preached ev-
erywhere of warning for hygienic liv-
ing.
How marvellous has been the devel-
epment Of the Christmas seal industry
and how essential it has been in the
mastering of great American army to
fight disease were told by DR.. Philip 2.
Jacobs of New York city. assistant Sec
rotary of the National Association for
the Study and Prevention of Tubercu-
lesis. who came here to attend the re-
cent tenth annual convention of the
American National Red Cross.
Summary of Red Cross Seal Work.
4 comprehensive summary OF the
work accomplished all over the United
States as a direct result of the Red
Cross Christmas seal sale was a fea-
ture of that important meeting. The
history of the seal and an appreciation
OF it's accomplishments are given by DR..
Jacobs, as follows:
From Fad to Business might be an
instructive and explanatory title .or
history of the Red Cross Christmas
seal campaign in the United States. Be
ginning with the pioneer efforts of one
woman. Miss Emily P. Bissell of Will
nington. Del, in the fall of 1907. the
sale of these holiday messengers of cheer
TO the sick and afflicted has grown
from $1,000 to $45o,0OO in 1913, with a
total of nearly 81 800, 900 realized in
the seven years.
The interest likewise has developed
from that of few scattered enthusi-
asts who looked upon the seal as one
OF many passing fads to the highly
Intensified, businesslike organization
whicl, AT this very hour is enlisting
The energies of more than 10000 men,
women and children, and which COM
prebends the distribution of 13o.ooo.ooo
seals throughout almost every state OF
the Euion and Yin far-on Hawaii and
the Canal Zone.
What this movement has meant to
the anti-tuberculosis campaign in the
United States few persons can realize.
In 1908 the organized campaign against
tuberculosis in this country existed
largely on paper. The tuberculosis
Directory of the National Association
for the Study and Prevention of Tuber-
culosis published that year listed 1875
associations and committees formed for
the specific purpose of preventing the
disease.
Including sanatoria dispensaries, vis-
ting nurses-of which there We're less
than 1oo--and other institutions. the
entire number of agencies engaged In
the antf-tuberculosls work IN the
United States was hardly COO. OF these
agencies only a few of the older pri-
vate and public sanatoria and diSpea-
saries and not more tnan score of the
associations had enough money in their
treasures TO do active work. For the
most part the organizations were work
ing on volunteer basis. spending
their money with little or no definite
plan or program
Force Fighting tuberculosis.
Contrast this picture of 1908 with
that of todays fighting force against
tuberculosis. At the present time ac-
tive state associations, with salaried
executive secretaries or similar officers
are at work in thirty-three states
Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island
Connecticut. New YORK. New jersey,
Pennsylvania. Maryland. Virginia, West
virginia. North Carolina. Kentucky.
Tennessee. Georgia. Alabama. Missis-
.ippi Louisiana. Ohio, Michigan. In
diana. Illinois. Wisconsin. Minnesota
Iowa. Missouri, North Dakota. Ne
braska. Kansas. Oklahoma, Texas, Col
orado, Washington and California.
"In almost every city of the country
with IL population of 100000 or over
and in hundreds of smaller cities and
towns the anti-tuberculosis campaign
is now being operated on a business
basis. with a paid officer or nurse in
charge Even into the unorganized
rural communities |;e gospel of health
is being carried by those energetic
missionaries, the visiting nurses, OF
whom at the present time nearly 5000
nre engaged in tuberculosis work
alone Efficiency is now the keyword
of the vocabulary OF the anti-tubercu-
Tosi; worker. and efficiency spells fol-
him the expenditure of money in lead.
ership. institutional and home care ol
the cousumptiNe.
II do not eXagSerate one bit when
saw that the present highly organized
and constantly growing movement
against tuberculosis owes its efficiency
largely and in many places entirely. &c
the Red Cross Christmas seal. Take
for example the history of our state
associations. Prior to. 1898. there were
about twenty such organizations. ex.
listing chiefly on paper. The task ol