Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-11-02
Campaign Now On To Raise
Funds For Payment of
Debt On County's Tuber-
culosis Sanatorium; Much
Good Is Accomplished.
DIR. HERRICK TELLS
NEED FOR SUPPORT

TO pay the debt on SunnySlope Sana
torium, the tuberculosis hospital OWL
ed by the county northeast of the city
is now on and the deserving characte
Of the institution which serves a grea
purpose in the county, is told in an ap
peal written by Dr.. ]. F. Herrick of tn,
BOARD of trustees of the institution. H,
calls attention to the ravages that ar.
made annually by tuberculosis, seven
ty-five persons suffering and dying
from the dread white plague" in this
vicinity each year. What has been anC
is being done by the county and the
/, officials of the sanatorium to stem the
plague, prevent its further spread and
decrease the numbers so afflicted, are
/, set forth in the appeal which will be
found of interest to every public-spir
tied person who has thought of his fel
bow being and the community at large
Under the title Of "a Plea for Sun.
nyslope Sanatorium," DR.. Herrick has
: written the following:
/; I'VE are intensely interested and
! rightly SO in all things pertaining ia
(, the world war in which we are endeav.
ofing to do our part. The energies OF
the people will be called out, and the
resources of the nation demanded, as
has never been done before. There is
nothing in history with whichtto com
pare or measure the conflict now rag
ing, nor is it possible to foretell the
social and political Encouragement OF
the world that may follow. One thing
seems to appear very probable and
that is that all the people Of our coun-
try will be drawn closer together. 1t
is now very evident to all that no class
or division of our population is suffi-
cient unto itself but that we are a
whole in which each of us has a part to
play. That by playing that part well
both he and the community is the
gamer. The great trial will make US
realize more truly that we are to a
great extent our brothers keeper.
CAUSES MANY DEATHS.
''In this light it is our desire to lay
before the people of the community
the tuberculosis problem The great
white plague as it is called, is causing
approximately u per cent of all the
deaths in the United States, as COM
pared with SO per cent from all other
diseases, accidents and so on. In our
Cwn city of Ottumwa there is an aver
age death rate from tuberculosis OF
about forty-five each year. Each of
those who die has been sick on an
average of probably three years or
more, making three times forty-five, or
1876 years of invalidism which the COM
munity must support each year from
tuberculosis alone.
Tuberculosis Is an infectious dis
case, the canse Of which is known. 1t
is preventable and in large percent
age of cases durable. It is preventable,
as is every other contagious disease,
by keeping the sick and the we'll
apart. 1t is durable, as stated, in a
large percentage of cases by proper
care and treatment The state pro-
vides an institution at Oakdale for the
treatment Of tuberculosis. The capac-
ity of this sanatorium is, however, linn
tied to about 200, /. e., two from each
county in Iowa, while there are prob
ably four hundred or more persons in
WapeIlo county suffering from active
CREDIT TO THE COUNTY.
~Acting under the law and on the ad-
vice Of many citizens of the commun |
bers of the medical profession, the |
UOdIV vi SuPClSlSUlo vi "dpeIO gully
purchased the Foster summer home
just east of the city. This is an ideal
location for sanatorium, and has been
30 improved and fitted for its purpose
Rs to make it credit to the county,
an object Of pride to the city and a
to the members of the
board of supervisors who have been in
in bringing it into exist.
ence.
"That the board of supervisors
might be relieved of the direct man.
Rgement Of this sanatorium, on or
about January Is, 1917, it appointed
Mrs. w. r. Harper, Mrs. M. ]. Nc
Carthy, J. B. Sax, c. S. Harper, E. r.
DR.. H. w. Vinson and DR.. ].
F. Herrick board of trustees to oper
ate and conduct the sanatorium.
THE obligation placed upon this
board of trustees was: that they pro-
vide equipment, j. e., furniture of all
kinds, as beds, bedding, tables, chairs 4
kitchen utensils and everything neces'
sary to a hospital, which this is. In
addition the trustees were to employ
J nurse as superintendent, additional
nurses, cooks, helpers, ETC., as were
needed to the proper care of the pa
tents They were also to provide heat
md light, as well as to feed the I
PATIENTS and help. All this, at the pre-
railing price of everything, has meant
/ heavy outlay. 4
INCOME is VERY SMALL.
''The income to meet this expense
las been from limited number of pa
tents who were able to pay their own
expenses of SIS per week and s45 per I
month from the county for those who
we're unable to pay. There were also
ONE donations of furniture and I
money, but the total HAS fallen far
hort of meeting the expense I
"The cost of equipment is a very S
arge part of the deficit A farther
am resulted from the increased cost l
( operating the sanatorium during the e
me of remodeling. leaving the trus-
ees now indebted to the amount of
pproximately $4,000. The trustees g