Daily Kennebec journal., 1918-05-11

| individuals, but the danger does not
stop with the family where the care
less sick man lives. the danger is far
reaching, for they walk our streets.
occupy seats in trolley cars, railroad
carriages and public buildings and
we do not enforce the one most i'm
portant law for our common safety,
the ant-spit law for as one walks
| up and down the pleasant streets of
Gardner frequent violation of the
anu-splt law is in constant evidence.
Some one may ask why is the
clean, careful consumptive not a dan
GER? Is not disease in any guise at
tractive or loathsome, a danger? In
most cases, yes. In the case of con-
sumption, no because the danger of
infection is from the eXpectorate
or spit of the consumptive. The clean
careful consumptive spits in paper
cones or paper cup that is easily
burned and has it burned before the
eXpectoration has reached its point OF
danger (when it is dry) The clean
careful consumptives frequently
washes his hands so he shall not in
~O<--
mon drinking cup for his own safety
as well as others, he lives in the open
sleeps in the open if possible, gets all
the sunshine possible, eats plenty of
good nourishing food. gets rest, while
fighting for his own health and pre-
venting infection he is a good and
safe neighbor and the influence of his
cleanliness and care and courage is
an influence no neighborhood can do
without.
The clean careful consumptive
keeps himself under medical advice
having regular medical examinations
or inspections. a supervision the hu-
man machine needs as fully and COM
pletely as any other machine.
Health, health, more health is a
war cry we must repeat added ear
nestness and determination for the
vigor, health makes it needed in these
times.
We can locate 40 cases of tuberCu-
losis in Gardiner today. What about
those we cannot yet locate. those who
have the disease but are deceiNlnS
themselves by calling it q little cold
that hangs on run down. "stom-
ach trouble" &C, &c. and who are
under no medical supervision who are
spending money on fake cures" and
who are not careful who are not
guarding themselves against rein
fection or guarding their neighbors
that may be YOU or [?
Gardiner has proven its interest
! in this great social calamity tubercu-
lCsis that slays more in year than
even the present awful world war.
At the end of the second year of the
war 800, 900 French soldiers had to be
returned to their homes from the
trenches with tuberculosis more than
had been killed in battle. Let us be
ready for our boys when they come
broken, a preparation that will mean
their chance to recover, not placing
them where they may be reinfected.
A clean careful consumptive said to
the writer only a few months ago
1T is so diScouraging to US who are
willing and determined to keep up
the fight for health. to see the indif-
ference of the public in regard to
simple laws of health that would save
so much sorrow as well as suffering.
Gardiner has led in Red Cross seal
sales let it lead in maintaining an
active campaign for health, the local
anti-tuberculosis association and the
State association wish the co-opera-
ton of the public in a very active
warefare against the great white
plague!
First must be a taking account of
the health of the entire population,
a general medical examination so we
may know our weak places and REIN
force them.
The climate, the pleasant hillsides,
the pure water justifies a civic pride
in Gardiner and inspires a determina-
ton to make it the good health town
of Maine.