Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-01-20

from unt1moly Sickness and death
from tuberculosis by Improvement Of
personal habits of living" or, in other
words, by leading sanitary life" do
you think? I don't know for certain
but very probably 80 per cent, nine
out Of ten. I am reminded of fam
lily of girls that know we'll that are
now dying of tuberculosis. 10 or II
years ago l saw those girls going
around in summer dress, thin shoes,
/ bare breasts with the thermometer 20
| below zero. l can recall the death of
| several boys, who went away from
here robust youngsters--to school or
to work in the cities, who dissipated,
broke down and came home to die
of tuberculosis. I firmly believe that
Improvement of personal habits of
living would cut the deathrate in this
county to vanishing point as
firmly believe that nothing else will.
That is the old, old remedy,-'the i'm
provement of personal habits Of liv-
ing has stood the test since
the days of julius Ceasar-when the
remedy for consumption was: "Quit
your job,-go to the mountains, rest,
and live on milk and honey" Sana-
forum treatment is we'll enough in a
way,-often help,-yet artificial, ex-
pensive, and unavailable to the mass
of consumptives, while Improvement
Of personal habits of living is the
sine qua now-within the reach of all
or with the help of the public GER
tainly within the reach Of all.
| We have been told of late years
that health is a purchasable commod-
ity. The state health authorities are
continually saying, give us money and
we will give you health. AS usual
this statement is half truth and the
truth in it misapprehended.T The truth
of it is that virulent contagious dis
eases may be controlled by a reason
able health service and insanitary oc
cupation regulated. These are the
legitimate fields of a state health ser
vice.
But a very small percentage Of hui
, man sickness and untimely death is
due to these factors. We may truth
fully say that health as a rule is
matter of personal hygiene,-of cor
rect habits of personal living. To hole
, out any other view to the public i:
, ouackery of the worst kind.
Let people understand that the law:
, Of nature are irrevocable- by al
. autocratic state health magnate. Whe1
D people stick their hands into the fir
v they burn them-state health service
3 or no state health service. Let then
J. understand that they themselves IN
f dividually are responsible for thel
q health generally speaking. That NJ
!, state health service can assume thl
+ responsibility for them.
i II any should read this that are al
i ready in the grip Of active tubercu
|. losis, listen: Don't for moment thln]
that you can be saved by any kind
a sanatorium here or elsewhere. Yo1
h cannot. The fight with tuberculosis
h is personal fight extended over year
$ and only by Improvement of you
r personal habits of living" can you wiz
q Any other proffer of cure is a delus
e ion and snare,-quackery of the val
). iety of Freedman's cure, Koch
r Lymph, and what not. And to thos
now free from active tuberculosis
J. may confidently say this: If you ar
d Of fairly good stock, and have bee
3 subject to no extraordinary strain
If other exhausting disease and wi
q henceforth live an ordinary health
y life you need not worry about tube
n culosis, not one out of a thousand
q this class ever get it. But If 20
q should be so unfortunate as to col
d tract tall you have to do in it's earl
d stage is to improve your personal hal
" it's of living-and you will be cured
n thousands and thousands now Twin
# and healthy have been in the pas
W That is the sum and substance of tn
tuberculosis question.
I'll CHRISTIAN JOHNSON, M.