Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-12-07
WHITE PLAGUE IS
BEFORE EVERYONE
Throughout Oklahoma Tu-
bcrculosis Fight Is
Carried on.
BY JOHN W. DUKE

the period beginning December D ana
ending December IL, there will be
statewide discussion i'm oklahoma
concerning the cause, prevention and
cure Of tuberculosis, SIMILARLY
throughout the United States meet
ugs will be held. sermons preached,
addresses delivered and articles
printed in newspapers i'm behalf Of
this great national movement to Grad
icate tuberculosis, "a prcycntablc dis
ease, that more than any other lS
sapping the vitality Of the American
people. decreasing their earning ca
pacity, their happiness and their pro
duCuyity increasing their poverty ana
limiting their capacity to enjoy the
blessings Of life
Pause a Moment.
1t Is unimaginable that there should
be a single person in oklahoma who
will not pause during this coming
week and give serious thought to this
great movement for escape from one
Of civilized society's greatest enemies
There is not a man, woman or chlld
| in Oklahoma whose personal welfare,
both now and for future time, is not
involved i'm the success or failure OF
| this attempt to conquer tuberculosis,
| lust as yellow fever and cholera have
been conquered As individuals they
may be sound in health and sound in
body but none can tell at what mo-
mcnt they may become obligated
through llinship or friendship or just
the ordinary ties Of humanity to care
for some person who has become the
victim Of tuberculosis.
The underlying purpose OF this at
tack upon tuberculosis cOntomplatcs
the prevention Of this disease, no less
than it does the cure Of those who
have acquired IT, Happily science
has shown that tuberculosis is a pre-
ventable disease, If proper precauton
is taken from hygIcniC and sanitary
staudpOiuts No less cheering Is the
demonstrated fact that tuberculosis
may be cured il proper treatment i5
begun at the right time, and contin-
ued until recovery HOpelessness and
despair need no longer cast down any
person afflicted with tuberculosis If
their case is taken in hand at the
right time and handled in the right
way.
Can't Dodge Issue.
The people Of this country will not.
be permitted longer to dodge such
questions as the prevention Of tubcr-
! Culosis or to shift responsibility be-
| cause they are too busy or too lndif-
| ferent The present fight against tuber-
CulOss in the United States began no
| further back than 1900. 1t Is in
| credible that with our bOasted civila-
| ton, we have been engaged only 10
| years i'm a systematic attempt to con-
| troll this scourge. We have talked for
decades about higher learning" re
! spOnsibiHtics Of government and
taxed our wits about how to make
| two blades Of grass grow whore there
were only one, and all the while have
done nothing TO shoot down this
| Whitc-fangod wolf Of tuberculosis
| that has skulked at the doorway Of
every home. There is hope that
| tuberculosis soon may be MS amen
able to scientific treatment az diph-
! iberia. for example has become Most
| persons-at least mothers - remem-
| Der the time when the appearance Of
diphtheria in the family was regarded
with no less terror than the appear
ance Of death itself. But the anti
toxin treatment has changed all this.
The federal government Is doing
excellent work in this campaign
against tuberculosis, but like many Of
the states, the federal government has
shown its greatest activity In recent
years Ii was not until 1907 that
congress, realizing the amount OF
tuberculosis infection that was pour
ing in from foreign countries, enacted
law that prevents the entrance into
this country Of persons presenting
obvious symptoms OF the disease, and
provides for the deportation OF all
foreigners who may develop tuber-
culosis within three years after their
arrival
For the comparative periods Of
1S81-18S5 and 1S06-l910, the reduc-
tion in the tuberculosis death rate in
few Of the principal cities Of the
world was as follows. New York sos
per cent; London 4O.5 per cent: Paris
I15.2 per cent; Copenhagen BOZ per
cent: Vienna so per cent; Budapest
524 per cent
The world is on its way TO conquer
tuberculosis oklahoma seeks a place
in the front ranks