The Gem worker and the Idaho labor herald. (Boise, Idaho) 1914-1917, 1915-06-03
DANGER SIGNALS OF
TUBERCULOSIS

losis at some time or other during
his lifetime. Autopsies on people hav,
shown that hardly single human
being reaches mature life without Z
scar on his lungs or elsewhere show.
ing where tuberculosis had attacked
him, and he, by his normal resistance
and vitality, had warded off the con.
tinuation of the attack.
Because tuberculosis is so wide
spread, every man, woman and child
should give the most careful attention
to those signs of the disease which
point out danger. The treacherous
disease germs may enter the body in
early childhood and may not cause
any serious trouble for ten or fifteen
years. Then, all of sudden, when
the body is weakened by over work,
worry sickness, or bad living and
working conditions, these sleeping
GERMS wake up and become active
in the destruction of the lungs or 9TH
er organs. The working man or wo-
man, therefore, cannot be too careful
in the safeguarding of health and in
watching out for those symptoms
which indicate that the disease OF
tuberculosis is actually present.
What, then, are some of the danger
signals and what should be done
about them?
O) First of all, there is a cough
that hangs on and will not clear up.
If 1t lasts for a month or longer, it
is red light, danger signal, which
you cannot afford to ignore. 1t may
start with wet feet or some other
insignificant circumstance, but no
matter how the cough started, if it
does not go away, see your doctor
at once. Colds frequently weaken
the bodily tone and resistance. so
that it is easy for the lurking germs
to get foothold.
~ Loss Of weight accompanied
by a loss OF appetite and a certain
amount of stomach trouble" is an
other danger signal, which you must
not pass unheeded. Sometime loss
of weight may come from some other
cause than tuberculosis, but 1t pays to
be on your guard. You may not have
cough, and you may experience very
little trouble except a sort of chronic
WEAKNESS. You ought to know what
your normal weight should be. If you
begin to lose five, ten, or more pounds
without any apparent reason, look
for sound medical advice at once.
Sometimes with loss of weight goes
a loss of appetite, and trouble with
bowels and stomach, even running
to diarrhea. Whether you are losing
much weight or not, look out for this
danger signal. 1t is Warning that
something is wrong.
go Then there is that run down.
all-the-time-tired feeling. Most peo-
pie have days when they feel unusu-
ally tired, for some reason or other.
Such an occasional period of Spring
fever" or lazy liver" may not be at
all dangerous. But when every day
for two or three weeks you hate to eet
up and dread to do anything but lie
around and be lazy, there is danger
ahead. This is Natures warning to
you that some enemy inside of your
body is sapping your vitality. Don't
ignore the warning signal
(4) Anyone of the three symptoms
just mentioned may occur singly or
all of them may come at one time.
When, to any or all, there is added a
fever in the late afternoon or during
the night accompanied possibly by
sweats, beware of this danger signal.
1t is a bright red flag which Nature
waves before you cautioning you to
give immediate heed. Anyone's tenn
perature may rise at times, some peo-
pies more easily than others. But
when for a week, every afternoon
about four or five o'clock you've felt
feveTish, or when night after night
you wake up in dripping sweat, you
may rest assured that there is nothing
normal about that. Go to your doc
tor at once and tell him about it.
You may have no cough and no other
sign of disease, and this may be the
only warning you'll get. Give heed
TO it at once. 80
(5) If you have a cough and in
splitting you find streaks of blood in
your sputum, you may rest assured
that something is wrong. 1t may not
be direct sign of tuberculosis, but
whatever it is, you should attend to
1t at once. You annot afford to
waste time putting it off. Nature may
give you that more emphatic warning
of the presence of tuberculosis, a hem
orrhage of the lungs If so, don't be
scared unduly. 1t is danger signal,
and if you heed it, you may be safe
There are other danger signals,
some which you can see and some
which only a trained physician can
detect. Your safety lies in getting
medical attention as early as possible.
Tuberculosis can be cured if it is dis
covered in time The time to discov-
er it is when the first symptoms show
themselves. Don't take chances with
Death. You'll lose every time.
Go to good doctor, If you notice
any of these danger signals, and in
sist that he examine YOU stripped to
the waist. If you can't afford doc
tor, go to a free clinic and be exam
ined. 1t may cost a few dollars to
be examined, but it may save you
hundreds of dollars. untold suffering.
and possibly your life and that Of
your wife and family.
SAFETY FIRST" is motto that
applies to tuberculosis. especially
when it is first showing itself.
PLUMBERS SURE OF VICTORY
Sioux City, Iowa Plumbers and
Steam filters IF fhis cify s4r;tx;nor 81,