The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-06-21
Every Year 5000 Persons Con-
tract Consumption i'm Kansas.
Every Victim Communicates the
Disease to Four Others.
STATE CARES FOR % &c THEM
There Are 200 Now on the
Waiting List.
To Save Cattle, 100000; for
Human Beings, $4,000.

Every year 5000 men and women
in Kansas contract tuberculosis in
some form. Every victim commune
Gates the disease to at least four rela-
tives or associates. If the state hos
pital at Norton were ten times as,
large as al present, every bed would
be used to care for the unfortunates
who now seek admission. That was
the declaration today of S. c. Kenney,
superintendent of the state tuberculo-
sis Sanitarium at Norton.
Since March 1 the hospital has been
caring for patients. Its facilities are
limited and it is hampered by lack of
funds and is living example of results
from the recent legislatures economy
crusade. The legislature which has
tened to set aside $4,000 to fight the
foot and mouth disease among cattle.
dubbed six weeks and finally gave
the tuberculosis sanitarium S27, 900 to
meet emergency conditions. Now
there are 200 victims of the white,
plague who are praying for an oppor-
tunity to receive treatment at the state
institution. But apparently they must
wait until the economy wave has sub
sided and a future legislature provides
facilities fer their treatment. OF
course some of these patients may die
in the meantime, but DR.. Kenney be-
Heves there will he enough new cases
to fill any holes in the ranks.
If we had room to care for them,
there are 200 men AID women who
the hospital said DR.. Kenney. There
are fully that many applications for
admission that cannot be cared for"
When the tuberculosis hospital SUI
perintendent was asked concerning
present provision for the care of white
plague victims, he gave some start
ling information.
Can Care for 23-
Just at this time we can care for
% people" said the doctor.
Kansas with her hogs and cattle
and wheat and per capita wealth can
care for % tuberculosis victims. BY
this time next year, Dr. kenney
Tins than at present. Some of them,
perhaps. will want a place in the Nor
ton hospital But unless someone dies
or goes home as cured or improved,
the others must wait.
1t requires from six to nine months
to treat an average tuberculosis vic
tim. Using six months as d basis. and
keeping the hospital running full ca
pacity, the last of the present 200 APP
plicants for admission would receive
treatment some time in 1920 or 1921.
BY that time. using the doctors fig
ures, $4,000 new victims would be in
fected with tuberculosis germs.
Yet the doctor is a large. stout. OPP
timstic party with a broad smile and
he is not complaining. He tried COM
planning last winter when the legisla-
ture held up his appropriation. But
it did no good. He was merely in
formed that the Capper administration
couldn't spend more money than the
Hodges administration and fool the
voters. So the tuberculosis appropri-
alton was trimmed Even the Norton
county representative who talked for
the Norton appropriation out loud,
stood with the economy crowd. at
tended the caucuses and was thankful
TOR such as he received As a conse-