The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1919-08-15
The War Against
tuberculosis
Doctor G.. Webb.

A wal that is constantly being
enc can quench, is the war with di-
sease. As far back as the Bible takes
us pests and plaques were fought and
battled against. Out of that war
which has continued necessarily FOR
centuries a large science called medi-
cine has grown and developed, a
science that is trying to conquer di-
sease and make life healthier and
happier.
Among the many dangerous sick
nesses to which thousands of people
succumb yearly, tuberculosis, in ali
its varieties, is the most terrible. Very
few people realize this and most of
us never give a thought to the great
battle that is being waged against
this plague, that snatches away more
people yearly than ALL THE OTHER
INFECTIOUS DISEASES TO
.GETHER.
We all know what consumption is:
a disease caused by the Bacillus Tub
erculosis. All the organs of the hui
man body can be affected by this in
lection, yet the overwhelming MAORI
ty OF cases is tuberculosis of the
lungs. 500 of all people at sometime
of life, particularly in childhood, are
infected and have TO fight for their
lives. One seventh of ALL THE
DEATHS are due to this scourage.
These appalling figures have reused
all the different nations TO investi-
gate and study this disease. Many of
the best men medical science has
have spent their lives in trying to
find a way to conquer tuberculosis.
They have attained a sreat deal and
have taught us how to diminish con
sumption and how to prevent it from
spreading. Now it is up to us to
carry their teachings out and to pro-
tect ourselves from this scourge
which kills ten of thousands and
mains hundreds of thousands of our
brothers, sisters and children. How
is it to be done?
The two important principles are:
Fewer seeds and a more stony soil!
The fewer consumptive people here
are in a community the less the in
fe ton will spr, ad. The healthier a
community, the less liable is the in
lection to take root.
The second principle is being dew
eloped day after day by education, by
social improvements and by a more
hygienic way of living.
The first principle is the more i'm
portant and at the same time the
more difficult TO carry out Neverthe-
less it is being carried out energeti-
cally in most countries. S%anatoriums
are being built in great numbers in
which the tubercular seed-sowers can
be isolated and cured. All these in
situations are filled up to the brim
and yet only an insignificant part of
Nv COliSuilptlNt nave DttH lSOldlbu
while the great bulk of them still live
in the communities injecting those
around them and losing the favorable
time when the cure of their own state
can be affected.
This segregation nf the consump-
tive is the most important factor in
fighting the disease. 1t is also the
most expensive. The time will soon
come when Legislature, the world
over, will enforce the building of a
sufficient number of Sanatoriums, pro-
viding the money for this purpose, to
protect the growing generation from
the tuberculosis. AT the present time
the community itself having recognize
ed the importance Of these measures
has to see that sufficient sums are
forthcoming to provide sanatorium
space and treatment for each tuber-
cular man, woman and child that is
found in the community. This is not
charity, it is only self defence, and
as such should be carried out with
all possible energy and thOrOughness.
In Russia where the death rate from
tuberculosis is greater than in many
other countries, the whole people
have recognized the Importance Of
combating it. On the Goth of April,
the day of the white flower" year
after year, a nationwide collection is
made for building and maintaining
Sanatnrinms in which nNerN cnnsnmn-