The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-02-12

Lear Silt mas Oeen Win COuSlu'
cradle surprise that we have been
reading the front page articles in your
paper seemingly advocating the >aband-
onment OF the county hospital idea OF
care of consumptives as advocated by
the local Anti-Tuberculosis society
and workers IN general over the en-
tire country.
We feel we have proof of your in
terest in the county hospital idea be-
cause of your representatives activl-
ties in behalf of an immediate estab-
lishment of shacks or anything to re-
lieve the present demand for care Of
these poor victims.
We feel therefore this article which
gives New York experiment born
out Of necessity in caring for the i'm
mense number Of tubercular cases in
the submerged of that city temporarily
and cites it as authority was to pro-
duce discussion.
For fear this may have the wrong
effect we wish briefly to point out
what those who have been engaged in
the work feel is very grave error.
Method Fails to Work.
First-Your article merely advo-
Gates what is already in force in our
hundreds Of we'll to do families. And
it has not lessened the spread of the
disease in the community and much
less in the family.
Our funds from the sale of Red
Cross seals for several years have
gone to support the visiting nurse,
who has taken care of thirty or more
cases. Nearly all of these were also
M ~ nh Snio ynS,
with the nurse had access to them
almost daily.
A part Of her contract is to teach
cleanliness and how to care for the
lives Of others
1t has been a pleasure to watch one
family make an almost miraculous
change from careless, filthy home to
one of apparent cleanliness-this I'M
der the care of specially trained Wis
iting nurse with daily visits and ply
sician peculiarly interested in same,
and yet it was with chagrin and sor-
row that recent examination of the
sister who was always cautious, rosy
checked, and willing to learn revealed
the disease firmly fastened upon the
lungs.
The baby two years old playing
about the floor unconscious of its
peril oftimes toddles to the bed of the
victim in the four room house. 1t also
will be a victim. These in turn will
infect five more and the harvest goes
relentlessly on.
Community Fears Expense.
All the above exists because we as
community are fearful of the immedi
ate expense.
We do not look at the underlying
increasing expense in poverty care of
dependents, loss in productive power
if working, to his employer, etc.
Consumption is a house disease. If
the house is sanitary, if the home is
favorable doubtless this experiment
county.
But we feel if you advocate the
home care experiment you are assum
homes are proper hospital centers.
Consumption is a long drawn out
struggle either for cure or fatality.
laxity is fatal
A sick person is not a person of
reason or to be trusted for intelligent
cooperation. He is the victim of
whims and the suggestions of family
supervision thing not possible in the
contemplated New York experiment
or here.
Plan Demands Action.
I have before me an account in the
indianapolis News of the death Of DR..
Theodore Potter, who was the fore
most exponent of the germ theory of
disease in the state and an active
worker in the segregation idea of care
less consumptives. He surely knew
how to care for himself in preventing
consumption. Yet he was a martyr to
the cause from a careless consumptive
whom he sought to teach.
We feel Wayne county has had
enough agitation and teaching along
this line of temporizing to execute
without delay a humane sensible
means of care for the poor consump-
tive as we'll as easily accessible place
for scientific cure for those who can
pay.
DR.. Vaughn, Detroit's expert tuber-