New Britain herald., 1915-02-06
TUBERCULOSIS WORK
BY T. E. REEkS, M. D.

1 visa bility of placing the tuberculosis
 nurse in our department AS 1t IS the desire of the board of health to bring
 our department up in efficiency, could but voice our approval, provided that the board of health was given sufficient means to carry on the worK, for my investigations show thE the progressive boards of health are. em- ploying nurses in order to get results. The Tuberculosis society has em- ployed two nurses when heir finan- cial condition would permit, because of the amount of work to be done. To say that the society is failing to &C., complish the work it could do, be- cause it has now but one nurse, throws no discredit on the present tu- berculosis nurse, for the annual re- port shows a tremendous amount of work-too many cases for one nurse to care for.
 It is in the interest of every New Britain citizen that tuberculosis cases should be followed up closely and in- guard others, so that those living and working with tubercular cases will be freer from the danger e. Becoming tubercular, due to the education they would receive along the line of care fitness. This educational and follow up system requires help. So I state. if one nurse cannot do justice to the
 number Of cases now on the records of the society, what more may be ex- peCt of her is she is placed with the board of health when we now have record of cases not known to the Tu- berculosis society, and which need in c-f,- J,, .1, +1, I needs two nurses, and because of fi- nancial reasons, has but one, certainly 1 there will be need of two nurses should the Tuberculosis society nurse be taken over by the health depart ment.
 We so often hear the expression, "The Great White Plague" that we | become reconciled to it in much the | same way as we do to hearing of an l other instruction in Mexico, or to reading of casualties in the European 1 war The shock is over and we expect 1 to hear of results. Neverth eless the | Great White Plague-tubercu1oSis | is depicting our cities by deaths and 1 disability much as any of the wars l that shock us so much
 If every case of death and disability occurring in this country every day were published in the New Britain papers, we should divert some of our sympathy from abroad to our own people who die, not swift death do- ing tn heir duty, but lingering one, and too often with a sad heart be- cause of the poverty they are caus- ing by their inability to support those dependent upon tn em. The soldier dies doing his duty; the tubercular case dies because (usually) the country
 does not do it's duty to him viz; pro- teCt him.
 The function of the board of health
 is to look after the health of the peo-
 pie, that is, in so far as possible, to
 see that those things which tend to
 augm ent disease are abated. This cov-
 CTS wide field. But you see that
 cities recognize an obligation to pro-
 tcct their peoples health in so far as
 it might be disturbed by public or pri-
 vate nuisanCes. Thus boards of health
 have come about.
 The local board of health's ordi-
 nances cover quarantining private cases of diphtheria, etc, because to allow them at large would endanger your health. Likewise, they prohibit splitting sidewalks. because you are likely to swallow some of the phlegm which might rob you of your health. The health ordinances also forbid many other acts which, if al- lowed to continue, might deplete your health. Now Tuberculosis Is one of the diseases which for the protec- ton of it's citizens the state puts under the supervision of the health department. Obviously, it is impos- sible for health officer to patrol the
  or sidewalks, to see that every house has proper plum ping and garbage re- ceptacles, and that the yards are kept free from filth. to follow up quaran- tined cases, do laboratory work, and to look after correspondence of no small amount Therefore, the city comes to his aid and gives him the assistance of the police department l which sees that the anti-spitting law | is oheycd that sidewalks are not | swept off in the business section ex- l cept between and II a. m. (This | new law will be enforced after the ! 18th of this month). that certa in | other laws relating to public health | are obeyed. The city gives him | fl rther support by hiring an assistant | sanitary inspector who assists in sani- | tary inspections, and follows up in | vestigations: all of which support is | necessary to raise sanitary standards. |
 But what of the greatest menace l to health viz: existing infectious | diseases? The health officer tries to 1 see that the quarantine law is ob- served. but the real menace to health, viz: Tuberculosis, is hardly touched l upon by the departments: not that We do not appreciate it's danger to the | homes, the factories, the theaters etc, but because of the lack of help As it is, the present department is trying