Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-12-26

X Don't diagnose your own con-
X dition. Have your doctor exam X
4 inc your lungs several times at X
monthly intervals. Build up your 4
X strength with right living. good 4
4 food and plenty Of fresh air. X
Don't waste money on patent 4
X medicines advertised to cure tu-
X berculosis. X
X Become fresh-air crank and 4
4 enjoy life. 4
* Il
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Washington, d. c. Especial. )-Ac-
cording to report made to the United
States Public Health Service, the cpl
demic Of influenza in Spain has al
ready caused an increase in the preva-
lence and deaths from pulmonary tu-
berculosis. A similar association be-
tween influenza and tuberculosis was
recently made by Sir Arthur News
holme, the chief medical officer Of the
English public health service, In his
analysis Of the tuberculosis death rate
In England.
In order that the people Of the Unit
ed States may profit by the experience
Of other countries Surgeon General
Rupert Blue Of the United States Pub
lie Health Service has Just issued
warning emphasizing the need Of spe
cial precautions at the present time.
Experience seems to Indicate" says
the Surgeon General, that persons
whose resistance has been weakened
by an attack Of influenza are peculiar
ly susceptible to tuberculosis. With
millions Of its people recently affected
with influenza this country now Of
fers conditions favoring the spread Of
tuberculosis.
One Million consumptives in the
United States.
'sThen you consider this serious
| menace?" was asked. "In my opinion
| 1t is, though hasten to add 1t is dis
tinctly one against which the people
| can guard So far as one can estimate
/ there are at present about one million
cases of tuberculosis in the United
States There is unfortunately no
complete census available to show eN-
actly the number of tuberculous per-
! sons in each state despite the fact that
| most of the states have made the dis
] ease reportable. In New York city,
where. reporting has been in force for
many years, over $4,000 cases of tn
bercuiosis are registered with the De
! partment of Health. Those familiar
4 with the situation believe that the adj
dition of unrecognized and unreportcd
cases would make the number nearer
/ $4,000. The very careful health sur
i vey conducted during the past twG
years in birmingham, Mass, revealed
200 cases of tuberculosis in a popula-
ton of approximately 10000. If these
/ proportions hold true for the United
1 States as a whole they would indicate
that about one in every hundred per-
sons is tuberculous. Each of these
constitutes a source of danger to be
guarded against"
What to Do.
In his statement to the public Sur
geon General Blue points out how
those who have had influenza shoul(
protect themselves against tuberculo
sis. "All who have recovered from in
1uenza," says the Surgeon General
SHOULD have their lungs carefully ex
amined by competent physician. II
fact, it is desirable to have several eN
aminations made month apart. Sucl
examinations cannot be made through
the clothing nor can they be carried
out in two or three minutes. If thu
lungs are found to be free from tuber
culosis every effort should be made tt
keep them so. This can be done b.
right living, good food and plenty O
fresh air.
1T. Danger Signs.
The Surgeon General warned espe
cially against certain danger signs
: such as decline" and "colds whicl
hang on.
These, he explained, were often thu
beginning of tuberculosis. IF you d,
not get well promptly, If your COLI
seems to hang on or your health ant
strength decline, remember that thes
7. are often the early signs of tuberculo
sis. Place yourself at once under thu
4 care of a competent physician. Tuber
+ culosis is durable in the early stages.
! Patent Medicines Dangerous In Tuber
culosis.
. "Above all do not trust in the mis-
leading statements of unscrupulou
: patent medicine takers. There is n
specific medicine for the cure Of tuber
! culosis. The money spent on sue
medicines is thrown away; 1t Shnu'
be spent instead for goof food 80
cent living"