The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-03-14
DO AWAY WITH
PEST HOUSES
DIR. c. S. Kenney, Head of the
State Sanitarium
Advocates Changing Them to
Homes for TubercuIarS.
ARE GENERALLY EMPTY NOW
Nobody Need Have Smallpox
Unless He Wants 1t.
Tuberculosis on the Job Every
Day and Everywhere.

Transformation of all county pest
houses in Kansas into tubercular hos
pitfalls and a state home for tubercular
children were urged today by DR.. {.
>. Kenney of the state tubercu lar
sanitarium at Norton, who spoke at
noon at the Commercial club. In his
address before the Commercial club.
DR.. Kenney spoke more on a local
proposition advanced by Commissioner
Porter to transform the city deten-
ton home into tubercular hospital |:
But before members of the board of
control at the state house this morn
ing, DR.. Kenney outlined larger pfan.
1T is perfectly all right for experts
to examine stock for tuberculosis, "
said DR.. Kenney, but tubercular par
ents with children declare it is a
crime against personal liberty for a
city or state physician to examine
their offspring for tuberculosis. This
despite the fact that if the state could
take these children in the first stages
of the disease and place them in a
segregated hospital, give them proper
treatment and nourishment they
would become strong, able men ar,
women instead of menaces to the pub
lie health
Pest House Plan.
In speaking of his plan to trans
form pest houses into tubercular hos
pitfalls, DR.. Kenney declared that coun-
ty pest houses today stand idle nine
months out of the year in anticipation
of an outbreak of smallpox or some
other contagious diseases This, while
965 days out of the year the entire
population of Kansas meets men in
the last stages of the most dreaded
contagious disease on the continent,
tuberculosis.
And these meeting places. he de-
scribed. as the best places in the worlF
for Kansans to contract the disease.
The restaurants, the tobacco stores,
the drug store soda fountains, the
hotel Hobbies, the churches and
dozen other places are visited daily by
citizens.
Too Much Expense Now.
Many of these tuberculars are cdun-
ty and city charges, the doctor de-
clared, and are treated by county and
city physicians at much greater ex-
pense than if they were placed in a
county tubercular hospital. And be-
sides it would remove them from be-
coming a menace to public health.
Our state hospital is for the in
cipient tubercular patients" explained
DR.. Kenney, land majority of these
patients become strong, able bodied
citizens after receiving proper treat
ment. But not so those in the last
sta ges who infest our cities and viii
pital and yet are even a greater men
ace to public health than are those
in the incipient stage
An Optional Disease.
As for smallpox. DR.. kenney de-
scribed that as an optional disease.
People can get it or leave it alone.
He pointed to German statistics,
which show that in a country of SIS
million people where vaccination is
enforced at childhood and at 81 years,
there have only been eight cases of
the disease in the last eight years
DR. Kenney is strongly in favor of
the establishment of a city tubercular
hospital He pointed to the saving
in caring for the city tubercular pa
tients in one building instead of hav-
ing them scattered throughout the
city Also DR.. Kenney remarked on
the excellent facilities already al
hand at the detention hospital for the
esta blishment of a city tubercular hos
Dital.