Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-12-13
INTERESTING PAPER
ON TUBERCULOSIS f.
BY DR.. E. ". CEHR|NG
Of Portland, Read Monday Aft
ernoon at the Meeting Of the
Maine State Nurses Associa-
ton at the Augusta General
Hospital

Following is the text Of the paper on
Tuberculosis" which was read Mon
day afternoon by DR.. Edwin W. CEN
ring of Portland at the meeting OF the
Maine State Nurses Association, at
the Augusta General hospital:
The cause of this disease may be
divided into two parts. first, that which
is essential, the bacillus; second. any
thing which decreases physiological re-
sistance, lowers body tone, impairs
general health; for example, measles,
pneumonia, alcohol, lack of exercise In
the open air, poor food, overwork, I'M
hygienic surroundings and frequent
colds In the United States this dis
ease kills one person every four min
utes. The death rate per year the
country over is 100000 individuals, of
whom at least one-third are in the
most productive period Of their exist
ence-between 20 and go years Of age.
| At conservative estimate there are
| 1000 cases in the city of Portland at
| the present time.
| The question has been asked: docs
| God fix the death rate?" to which the
answer is NO" Who, then, is re-
| sponsible? We all have a share in it.
The theologian helps fix it by ignoring
the demonstrated facts of preventable
disease, by seeking to perpetuate the
medieval superstition that infections
are the Almighty's merited scourge:
! laymen who disparage tuberculosis
propaganda, who flout scientific proof
that tuberculosis can be eliminated
from human experience; Legislatures
| cifv roonfC which will
appropriate sufficient money with
which to fight the battle; those who
disregard anti-spitting ordinances;
housewives whose culinary efforts pro-
duce dyspeptics directly and drunk
ards indirectly; vendors Of patent med
icines and consumption cures who
fleece their victims until they have
passed beyond the stage where suita-
BILE treatment might help; those who
profit from feeding the poor adulterat-
ed food, fowls dead in storage several
years back; the league for medical
| freedom" so-called, expressly organiz-
ed to prevent wise Capitalization and
coordination of health activities, that
oppose inspection of school children;
those who over-work women and chill
dren in the factories: those who re-
quire men to work at dangerous trades
under intolerable conditions; house.
owners who provide dark, unsanitary,
pest-ridden tenements: "Christian Sci
ertists' and other faith-heaIers who
close their eyes to material aid; we'll
meaning mothers who believe they are
able to bring up their children in def
ance of the new-fangled notions Of hy-
g1ene spread by intelligent physicians
ana visiting nurses, incompetent and
/ careless doctors. all these share the re-
| sporSlhllty. We have no right to blame
cruel Deity for deaths which are ac-
! tually due 10 Grass stubborn jgnor-
ance, 1nhumanity, and the refusal to
exercise the common sense which is
also the inspiration Of the Almighty"
weeping mother told famous phy-
sicfan that 1t bad pleased Providence
to take her baby from her. "Provi-
dence had nothing to do with the mat
ter. replied the doctor. 1T was bad
milk that killed your baby" All have
some share in fixing the death rate.
but we can choose to be on the side Of
the forces that are bringing it down
instead of with those that are sending
1t up.
treatment
Tn the treatment of this terrible dis
ease the simplest physical and psychi-
clal procedures are the essentials, and
we speak of this as the modern cure
for consumption, whereas it is at least
as old as Nero.
For the physician CELSIUS, who -four
lshed IN the era of that potentate. adj |
Nlsed anyone with a cough that would
not Gown, q fever and losing weight |
TO get nm 9. COW, take that blessed
proNlder 10 the top of a. mountain. and
I'VE 1here ON the fruit of that COW"
J. ne rumber of drugs used for its cure
IS region; methods of ealing innumer |
dpie nave been devised, but it is time |
everyone knew that food. rest. and air
constitute the tripod upon which intel |
liseht physicians can alone base any
nope. by 1000 is meant any nutritious |
substance which is adapted to the |
patents powers of digestion. Rest |
means absolute rest till the tempara- |
lure Is within a degree Of the normal
lallure 10 obtain which is responsihle |
ior more deaths from pllthisis than
any cther ono cause. And hv air ue |
nave IN mind the freest possible accass |
10 Itesh ar Gay and night. due care |
being at all times exercised to secure |
the PATIENTS comfort by suitable nro.
'er,ioi' from rain, snow and wind.
"'se 'filhSs being provided the out
come may be said to depend. in a gem |
- WHY upon first, the patients tenn |
PEI dh'ell'-tLat is, upon the amount
u courage and patience which he can
muster IN response to the call for |
us disappointing and most tedious
.'i 1 IL Is always useless to under |
.aAs me costly and intricate canopaiyp |