Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-09-26
STATE DRIVING TO
CURB PHTHISIS As
ARMY HEALTH AID

In years past the states Of New York
and Wisconsin have been recognized
as being foremost IN organized work
for the prevention and cure Of uber-
cQlosls. Within the past three months
since the state council Of defense. the
state department Of public health and
the Illinois Tuberculosis association
have united 10 meet the tuberculosis
var problem. Illinois mas not only
Joined but has out-distanced these
foremost states. The Journal Of the
Out Door Life for August holds that
Illinois. New York and Wisconsin are
the three states making . determined
fight 20 protect the military and civil
population from the frigatfuI sc0urge
which tuberculosis has become in the
warning nations Of Europe
Aside from creating an active organ
ization in every county in Illinois to
meet the local tuberculosis problem
and particularly to make provision for
the care Of the returned tuberculosis
soldiers. the cooperating committee on
the tuberculosis war problem has sup
piled the surgeon general of the
United states army with the names and
addresses Of thousag Of tuberculous
young men, many Of whom have been
drafted and some of whom have been
admitted to the new national army.
These names will be transmitted by
the war department TO the 2l2 expert
tuberculosis examiners assigned 10 the
various camps and cantonments and
the suspected individuals will be sub
jected To rigid denomination
Through this action the lives Of scores
Of Illinois soldiers will doubtless be
saved
me cooperating committee knows
however, that keeping tuberculosis in
dividuaIs out Of the army is not suf7-
cient and IT is calling upon its county
subcommittee 70 organize an jnten-
slve educational cam pajgn SO that the
thousands OF tuberculosis individuals
in Illinois, many Of whom have not
suspected that they were victims Of
the disease, may be given an oDportun-
Try for recovery before it is too late.
According to DR.. George Thomas
Palmer, chairman of the cooperating
committee and who is also president
of the Illinois TubercuIo sis assocIa-
ton and assistant director of the state
department of public health, tubercu-
lOsis has decreased p per cent during
the past decade and this decrease is
due to public education rather than TO
medical activity.
The demand of the cooperating com /
mittee that Illinois prepare herself 10
more adequately meet her tuberculosis /
problem has met with astonishing re
Spouse within the past two months aud F..
It Is stated that never before i'm rhe
history Of Illinois mas so much been (
done TO bring about the adequate care
of the tuberCuiar and the protection /
of the uninfected.
The city Of Decatur and Macon roun-f
Gala
$4,000 a year to establish county and .
city visiting nurse and djspensary ser
vice for the diagnosis and treatment of (
tuberculosis. The supervisors of Kan
kakee county have made an appropria-#
ton for the employment of county tu-
berculosis nurses. In 0gle county a .
visiting nurse is to be employed and .
an intensive eduCa ti0uaI campaign Is .
TO be carried out At county expense. /
In Adams county $4,000 viii he rails
cd by special tax to establish a county
tuberculosis sanitarium with nursing .
service and dispensarv. and IA similar +
am ~ ut viii be raised in Mclean COuu-i
.y and expended for similar purposes.
In Livingston county $4,000 has been
set aside from the public funds for
constructive tuberculosis work. while
Morgan county has under c0utempla-
ton the establishment of a county san
tarium.
For the first time in It's history Of
the state department of public health
1as fin Its service two public health
durses, who viii devote themselves to
.he establishment Of nursing orgauiz-
atoms in the field, and is planning 20
Increase its staff.
The cooperating committee is now
lists Of tubercuIous persons
n each county and these names viii /.
De forwarded TO the county medical
directors so that an opportunity Of
proper care and treatment may be az
s0rded the individuals. These lists
ire made up Of those who were re
ected on account Of tubercuG osis by
he various exemption boards those +,
rho have been treated for tuberculosis
n Illinois sanitaria or hospitals dur
ng the past five years. the members
# households Of persons who have