Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-08
PUSH CHRISTMAS
SEAL CAMPAIGN
Forum Speakers Urge Need OF
Community Action Against
tuberculosis.

With one-tifth of the goal s50,O00 at
hand after one weeks effort. Christmas
Seal workers today resumed the campaign
TO raise funds to fight tuberculosis with
renewed vigor There is every indication
that the campaign is gathering strength
down the State. Many requests nave
come from lower parts OF Delaware asking
for more supplies of the seals The first
shipments have been exhausted. he
Willingness of men and women to take up
the work of selling the seals in the rural
sections is also very encouraging 10 the
leaders
\ meeting of the forum held in the High
School yesterday afternoon was devoted
10 a discussion OF tuberculosis. Mayor
Tavlor presented the subject and there
were three sets OF speeches during the
discussion Miss Emily Z. Bisscll. Original
tor of the Christmas seal brought out the
fact that consumption Is the hardest to
catch. and easiest to get rid Of if the
allment is taken in IT'S early stages.
DIR. Charles II kccnc, field secretary
for the Delaware tuberculosis Com
mission, was the first speaker and during
his address covered many angles ot the
fight nationally ~ well as IN tins state TO
combat the ailruent He referred to the
fact that there are 10 beds IN the state At
the disposal Of those affiliated, while the
number of eases were more than hundred
time, that number. If the proper treat
mcnt WAS to be afforded victims, then the
number of available beds should bc IN
creased to 400.
DR. kcene reviewed the various methods
that were utilized 10 fight the plague,
showing that rest, plenty 81 sleep and
fresh air and nourIshlng food were nccCS-
>ary to effect cure. The disease Is
E,rcvcntablc when taken IN time about
20 per cent recovering, but u the disease
* permitted to progress unrestricted the
percentage Of recoveries Is small
He cxplained how the Delaware cam
paiCn was to bc wagcd through the estab-
lIShment of county nurses, who would
teach both the children and their parents
what 10 do to avoid the disease through
caring for corrective ailments, sanitation
and proper food rcst and care during
childhood. through the inauguration
of automobile clinics that would visit
every section Of the state and through
a program Of education that would reach
every citizen.
Paul Benjamin Of Philadelphia, doing
national field work. spoke q many inter-
cstIng experiences he had met with ~ his
travels through the east IN the night
against the plague and touched upon the
human side there IS to the fight.
Fletcher Humphreys regional secretary.
tald the audience that while ~ 600 ot the
bo1- who went abroad to fight the Hun
died on foreign soil, that 200. 600 persons
lied in the United states Of tuberculosis
lie cndeavored to impress upon the
workers the need to plunge into the cam
palgn wholchcartedly, thus showing to
the community that the people were de
termined to win this fight against tuber-
culosIs.
In the open discussion, the question Of
people being afraid to come into contact
with those afflicted with tuberculosis
was answered by Miss Bissell Miss
Bissell stated that in Wilmington today
there were fifty persons who had been
treated at Hope Farm for the disease
and who had recovered. That if this fact
could become known generally that here
would be no objection 10 anyone sus-
pected of having the disease taking 3
course Of treatment. either at Hope Farm
or elsewhere, and that il was through
the benefits derived from course Il Hope
Farm that scores are today alive and
recovered from the allment.