Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1919-12-05
Montgomery County tuberculosis
Sanitarium.


Many of the citizens of this county have
reached state of frenzied fear with re-
gard to this disease. that halts all intelli-
gent efforts to abate the dread scourse.
and tends to perpetuate the disease
amongst us.
Ignorant fear is hard to overcome, be-
cause it creates in the person an intense
and fascinating excitement. similar to GAM
bling or drunkenness; to oppose it, is to
make enemies and generally entails real
sacrifice. 1t is easy to see how cheap
capital is made out of the victims of this
mania.
The people of Montgomery county are
second to none in intelligence and high
character, and it seems reasonable to be-
lieve that they will rise to this situation and
deal with it intellieently and successfully.
when the matter is brought home to them.
New York State reports about thirty-five
sanatoria for the treatment of tuberculosis ;
patients are received there with open well
come from all over the country. and the
greatest State Of the Union is proud Of her
great work in behalfof suffering humanity :
Are the people of this splendid county
second to none in New York State and
superior to most-to sit supinely. befogsed
in ignorance and allow our fellow-coun-
tians to suffer and die for want of proper
care and medical attention. We don't
think So we do not merely think but we
know it will not be so.
We have asked for intelligent. high
minded leadership from the government
Of this State in the establishing Of the
sanitarium, and nothing has been accom-
plished; after years of waiting we have
concluded that there must be way, and
we are determined to find it. The Social
Service League, therefore. proposes to
establish this sanitarium and begin the
work, even though it be in the smallest
possible way. We realize that we are
hampered in our work to some extent, be-
cause we are a thorn in the conscience of
good many people; but we are satisfied
that the good people of Montgomery will
in due time rejoice in the ultimate achieve
ments for better conditions of health and
social welfare
Communities will one day point with
pride to the tuberculosis sanitarium in their
midst as visible evidence of their early
enlightenment. their public spirit and splen-
did humanitarianism.
The need has become imperative in our
county; as all intelligent people realize the
terrible menace to public health by having
these sufferers scattered all over the county,
among farms and villages. These uncared-
for sick close by every home are real
danger to all; and an annual death rate
of forty-five is convincing evidence. Mont
gomery lost forty-eight splendid soldiers
during the war, and the feelings of every
resident Of the county were stirred to their
depths. because Of the great sacrifice in
heartfelt sympathy we have. II not in body.
yet in mind, sat beside the bereaved at
their desolate firesides These same hearts
and this intelligent sympathy can be as truly
touched by the great sacrifice of these for
ty-fve victims of tuberculosis the loss of
your gallant boys fire the imagination, but
these other deaths in our midst so largely
unnecessary, the victims Of ignorance and
selfish indifference are too great burden to
the conscience to find place in our hearts
and mind just now; the local terror has
become so great in parts of this county
with regard to these afflicted people that
threats of forceful ejectment from their
homes have come to our ears. and the OBJ
lection to receiving them into any other
house elsewhere is so great that they are
in danger of becoming homeless outcasts.
Let us rise to the situation at once, in
a way worthy of a civilized Christian peo-
pie, and deal with this whole matter in an
intelligent and comprehensive manner.
Many people speak of a sanitarium as If
the inmates were band of fanatics who
took fiendish delight in injecting the
whole neighborhood with their germs
whereas they are as little in evidence as
the inmates of any other kind of hospital.
being compelled to remain in bed until
they have no fever and no further power
of spreading the infection: after they get
out of bed. they are required to remain to
a large extent inactive and very soon re-
turn to their homes. Unless the sight of
the buildings is public menace to the
mind, the sight of the patients therefore
cannot very well be. AS to the infection
of the neiehbors Of properly conducted
sanitarium. the danger is infinitely less
than it is in any neighborhood from the hun
bred or more cases to be found scattered in
every community In the county. 1t would
be great thing for Montgomery county If
some big minded. whole-hearted man, with
the virile manhood of our soldier boys.
would come forward with the offer Of a
suitable location for a sanitarium; and say.
welcome the opportunity to help to save
the lives of my fellow-men. and lift the
debasng blight Of ignorance and inhu-
mainly from the minds of my fellow cOun-
tians.
RED CROSS BULLETIN.
WASTED LIVES.
tuberculosis kills producers chiefly men
and women between the ages of IS and as.
IL claims wOfkers-active men and wom-