Norwich bulletin., 1915-01-26
COMMENDS NORWICH SANATORlUM
State Tuberculosis Commission Comments Upon Admirable Spirit Prevailing Between the Sick and Well-New Buildings and More Land Are Needed-Several Isoa- ton Rooms, Recreation Pavilion and Superntendents Cottage xxtma

state. To maintain these would cost
 the state four million q year. The
 present campaign does not attempt 10
 provide care for every case. Den
 mark claims the most generous sani-
 ta.riurn provisions, and Connecticut's
 500 beds brings her close to that coun-
 try, and in the lead of most states on
 this hemisphere. The whole matter
 of public control Of the disease is so
 new that many problems are yet to
 be solved and most of the leading communities have attacked them ln
 differing ways.
 What to Do With These Patients.
 The report discusses sauatoria. treat
 ment One feature upon which stress
 is laid is that there are some patients
 who have been inmates for several years" They are never very sick; this
 disease remains stationary. They
 have become institutionalized. They
 won't work, even though told that work
 would benefit them. They have cost
 the state already more than a thous-
 or the towns from which they came, several hundred dollars apiece. They
 may nave no tuberCle baccilli in their sputunl. They would be better off at home and at work. They. prefer, however, to lead a. comfortable but expensive sanatoriun life. We can not discharge them, because we can not say that they have not tuberculosis says the report.
 Accepting Patients Near Death. The commission points out that the law compells the saaatoria to accept patients even if they are dying. From the light of experience and common sense, the commission believes such patients should have treatment in q local hospital The commission expects to be criticized in opening up this big subject, and says 1t anticipates that it will De charged with endeavoring to change the states tuberculosis insti- tutions into highly sophisticated san atoria for incipient cases. The com ] mission has no desire to have the character of the institution changed; i; the desire i5 merely to do better work, and make available and attractive the institutions for more of the sick. What Is Asked.
 The specific things the commission asks of this assembly are: The main- l tenance Of the present four sanatoria; {; 1 the enlargement of the infirmary at 1 the Shelton sanatorium: the settle ment of the problem of the immoral ! or inebriare or refractory consunptive; | an appropriation for e seaside sanato- 1 rum for children suffering from gland ular and bone tuberculosis: and such
 miner notifications in the statutes as | will make for more efficient service 1 by the commission and the employees l of the commission.
 Police Power Over Patients. 1 The report takes up such recom- mendation at length to explain it's 1 needs. It especially dwells upon the l problem of control of patients who will not obey or are not amenable to 1 discipline and expressed desire for 'po- 1 lice power to meet these conditions The commission points out a fan i cial tangle on the matter of n1ainten | ance due to the wording of the law i and it asks that the assembly straight l en this out.
 1 Among the new ideas to be put into i practice is that of having a dentist
 care for the teeth of patients, and the l hope is expressed tha financial con 1 ditions soon will enable a dentist to ! be called in periodically to do this work.
 Publicity Campaign. l The progress of work in each san = i a.tortum is described at some length 1 and a chapter of the report given over l to an account of the publicity cam i paign, both in addresses by prominent l physicians and workers, through ar 1 ticles for the press; distributions of | Don't cards,'' through the Employees i associations, and in the selling of Red ! Cross seals. Personal sympathy in the l work has been widely shown. ! The closing portion of the report an 1 alvzes the cost of the sanatoria ana 1 explains the needs as outlined in ar 1 estimate of required appropriations al i ready submitted to the general assem- : bly.