Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-02-10

work-house for inebriates!" (Dr.
Johnson will of course not build a |
cooperative sanatorium, so this sug-
gestion is put-off, just another meth
cd Of doing nothing.
9. That the "sum and substance"
Of the tuberculosis question is "im-
prove your personal habits of living"
Incidentally, DR.. Johnson holds me
up to ridicule for stating that "lead-
ing sanitary life is illusory" to Sc
cure the abolition of tuberculosis. OF
course said that, but was careful
to qualify it, (although DR.. Johnson
is careful to omit the qualification)
by stating that I was speaking IT
leading a sanitary life according to
DR.. Johnson's idea, /. e., with the only
really essential factor of such a san
itary life avoidance of infection) left
out! Fortunately DR.. Johnson in his
last letter Celebrates just what ne
means by improving your personal
habits" which is quit your job
go to the mountains-rest and live
on milk and honey" This is his pre-
scription for ANYONE in the grip OF
active tuberculosis" Will DR.. John
son show in what possible way (short
of the county sanatorium) such ad-
vice is not illusory-nay, bitterly iron
ical! To the farmer, working short
handed on his own place, to the small
business man, to the mother caring
for her children, to the young man or
woman just making their first plunge
en- meager wages, to the clerk, the
teacher, even the minister, and to
most doctors-with what bitter irony
does that advice of the old-time court
physician to his millionaire patients
come! Do you remember Doctor
that Empress of France who when
told that her people were starving for
lack of bread, advised them to eat
cake! They beheaded her later. Now
sincerely and soberly Doctor, is it not
illusory to offer, in the absence of
county sanatorium such advice to any
one but millionaire? And on the
other hand Doctor, is not the rest at
a sanatorium, away from home, with
the best food, nursing and medical at
tendance Of the twentieth century, as
near as most of us poor mortals can
ever hope to get to the advice Of your
self, and your aristocratic author?
DR.. Johnson says he would stand
the waste of sanatorium without
word, if it were for cure, but won't
stand it, for prevention! This is quite
in line with his argument that 10
deaths year is not sufficiently large
number to make action worth while!
To some of us it seems that putting
out fire when it is small beats wait
ing for it to grow; that preventing
the fire from starting at all is even
better than putting it out early; but
doubtless a private practising physi-
clan who makes public health his
waste-time hobby, should know more
about public health affairs than an ir-
responsible state expert! We pro-
pose a practical economic efficient
r scheme to accomplish the abolition OF
tuberculosis, and thus provide at a
i minimum cost the only vitality impor
; tant factor ESQ far as tuberculosis Is
e concerned) in a sanitary life" How:
Il BY isolating the infectious persons:
e For how long? A usual maximum Of
s two years, an average Of one. Al
r what cost? $1,000 per week. Paic
e by the patient? Yes, when he can
!; but by the county (half) and state
4 (half) if he is already impoverished
e in debt to doctor, druggist, etc. The
} state can't and won't bear the enor
n nous expense? Ninety-four cents pei
l. year, per family in this, according tt
i DR.. Johnson, "over-wealthy" state
, that has so much money to waste, i:
g wasting so much now-and still doe
J. not know what to do with it, Tin DR.
f.; Johnson's estimationD
h. DR.. Johnson's attempt to quote DR.
P. M. Hall, a member Of the Stat
l. Advisory Commission on Tuberculo
e sis, against the County Sanatori'
which the Advisory Commission il
n trying to establish, is on par witt
his quotation of E. r. Baldwin, tn
l. great advocate of sanatoria, as agains
u them also! DR.. Baldwin wrote per
G. sonal letter, since published, regret
T. ting very much that he should hav'
L been so misquoted, and pointing on
Il how and why the county sanatoriun
was essential to the abolition of tn
II berculosis.
II I am sorry DR.. Johnson should i'm
T. pute unworthy motives to anyone
II that is not argument. had hope'
this discussion would bring out some
e thing Of value from DR.. Johnson. A
e to DR.. Hall, there is clipping fror
Il his Health Happiness column OF Fet
g ruary first, 1915.
s. "ANSWER- Sanatorium treatmen
u for tuberculosis is quite apt to b
:! more successful than home Treatment
T. First Of all, because there is COZ
u slant medical supervision. The cur
e is more closely followed when tn
" patient is under constant observa
IS ton than is ever done at home. Vi
10 on rare occasions an individual
49, found of enough will power and d.
- termination to carry out everythln
" pertaining to hygienic living. BY a
Nv means I would advise you to go to
10 sanatorium if you can"
~ Very sincerely yours,
US H. w. HILL.
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