The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-08-12
F0ULkE PLEADS
TContinued From Page One.1

lent coughs and we know now that
wherever that bacillus is found tu-
berculosis exists. The bacillus finds
it's way into little particles of dust and
when these are taken into the lungs OF
another person they may give rise to
the same disease. Or they may be TAX
en- into the mouth with food or drink
or by the use of towels, tooth brushes
or eating utensils.
Methods OF Attack
tuberculosis usually affects the
lungs and this is its most fatal form,
but II may affect other organs Of the
body. The child who drinks milk from
diaries infected with tuberculosis may
suffer from IT for years, or perhaps a
lifetime, in the intestines or It may
affect the bones of the spinal cord
or the brain Dr.. Fletcher once told
me that considerable number OF pat
tents at the Indiana Insane Hospital
were afflicted with it. OF course 1t
Is not everybody exposed to tubercu-
losis who will contract the disease. If
the system Is not in condition to re-
ceive and spread the germ he will go
free and very often even when the
disease is there it lies dormant and
only develops after some other trouble,
the "bad cold" for instance or pneu-
monia has prepared the system to
spread the fatal infection. 1t Is be-
leved that many persons contract
tuberculosis In early childhood and
that It does not appear until later in
life Sometimes It never becomes so
10
may be in the system all the time.
How to Check Disease
We know that tuberculosis is pre-
ventable disease. If you could destroy
every tuberculosis germ that would be
the end of the disease If you can des-
troy most of them you can greatly re-
duce the mortality.
The way to do this is by quarantine.
II a man has diphtheria or smallpox
he Is quarantined either in his own
house or in some hospital provided for
the purpose. The difficulty In this
case of tuberculosis is that the quar-
antine has to last too long. You can
not quarantine man effectively in his
own house for months and years, leaV-
ing his wife and children exposed 10
the disease and yet preventing them
from intercourse with the outside
world The only safe way then is to
provide tuberculosis hospital or san
atorium where he can remain for
considerable period without the danger
OF injecting those around him. This
Is particularly necessary In the last
stages OF the disease. II he remains
at home he will probably infect two
or three other members OF his family
and they will spread the disease fur
Their still, whereas If he goes to hos
pital the chances are that within
few months or year he Will be cured
and can then return to his family, or
IL he die, he will spread the disease no
further
Need Of Hospitals
tuberculosis hospitals therefore
have been established in many places
both abroad and in the United States.
In Massachusetts,, Connecticut. New
York. Michigan We have state
hospital in Indiana at Rockville but
the quota of Wayne county is only
three patients and the places are al
WAYS full County hospitals are being
established everywhere. There has
been one just erected at indianapolis
and Wayne county ought not to be
behind in this great work.
For tuberculosis, unless 1t be too
far advanced. is a durable disease and
IL is not necessary to go to the mount
aims or dry plains of the West. Open
air and proper treatment at home Will
generally do almost as Well
The results of the care given in the
hospitals are shown In the gradual
elimination Of tuberculosis in the sec
tions where they are established. For
instance, in Connecticut, there are
four state hospitals. The first OF these
began in 1911 and the report OF 1915
shows that in the different counties,
Hartford, New Haven, New London,
Fairfield. Window, Litchtield. Middle
sex, Tolland, the average death rate
for the last thirty-five years was 1914
and last year it was only SS5, dim
mutton of more than one third.
The Value Of a Person
Now I want to take up the subject