South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-10-07
Or. Charles BoSenbury Tells of
Meeting of Mississippi
Valley Gathering.
By DIR. Charlie :. Bosenbury,


(seo-etary OF south Bend Board of
Healthy
Tuberculosis kills 100000 men,
women and children IN the Mississippi
valley each year. There are now ia
the Mississippi valley 100000 living
victims OF tuberculosis" These state
ments are taken from the program Of
the Mississippi Valley Conference on
Tuberculosis which held its third ses-
sion at indianapolis last week. When
one considers these figures given upon
authority Of those who have made a
study Of the prevalence OF tubercu-
losis. II is easy 10 understand the
necessity OF such a conference.
The object Of the conference was 10
bring about a closer relationship be-
tween anti-tuberculOsis agencies in
the Mississippi valley and provide for
the interchange of ideas and eXper-
fences The people OF this valley
must be aroused 20 the need Of CON
certed action, both public and pri-
vate. against tuberculosis and there
must be closer cooperation between
anti-tuberculCsis societies, health
agencies and the general public.
In company with DR.. James a. Dug
gan OF the St Joseph county hospital
for tuberculosis / was present two days
OF the fOur-day session. j have been
requested TO give my Impressions Of
the conference and 10 relate what L
believe TO be its important lessons.
Not Physicians Only.
One OF the first things with which
7 was impressed was the fact that I
was among a large company of men
and women who represented many
walks in life. This was not a gath
ering of physicians. nor experts on
tuberculosis. The conference was
truly everybody's conference. There
were teachers from the public schools.
professors from the colleges, physic-
ians from tuberculosis sanitariums and
health officers from the federal, state
and municipal organizations There
were representatives from vomens
clubs, newspaper men, publicity eX-
perts. sociologists. life insurance ex-
perts, labor union men, statesmen and
trained nurses. Surely II was a rep
resentative gathering. When one
heard these men and women speak.
one was impressed with the intimate
knowledge they had Of the subject
Never has it been my privilege to
hear the tuberculosis problem dis
cussed with such intelligence and en-
thusiasm.
Preventive medicine is far in ad-
vance OF what is socially and ecOnOm-
ically possible. The expert i'm pre-
ventive medicine may know how to
present, modify or control disease:
the problem often is 20 create public
sentiment and provide the necessary
means for carrying out the measures
known 70 prevent disease. The hope
ful feature Cf this conference was that
SO many interests could be cOncen-
trated on the tuberculosis problem
and that men and women had gather
ed from distant points to meet at our
capital city. there TO spend four DAYS.
and actively engage in this confer
ence IL is a matter of good fortune
that such conferences are held
Means Great Advance.
the chief problem considered was
tuberculosis. but, if tuberculosis is
conquered. a great advance viii be
made in public health work in general.
For many Of the lessons learned and
10 be learned regarding the eradiCa-
ton of tuberculosis will assist in Grad
icating other diseases.
one OF the fundamental problems
in the prevention and control of tn
berculOsis is 10 gain the active CO.
operation Of the public Without this