Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-03-18
SANATORIA NEEDED
ta'i for Hospitals for Tuberculosis Pa
ien,s becomes More Serious


Al the meeting of the executive CONF
mittee of The Vermont Tuberculosis as
sociation held in this city Tuesday eve
hihS' II. w. Slocum, the executive sec
rotary. pointed ont that there was every
probability that within a few months the
State of Vermont would have no hospital
accommodations for tuberculosis paticnts
too far advanced to be admitted to the
sanatorium at Pittsford. Up to the pres
ent time Vermont patients have been
placed in hospital in Massachusetts or
in one in New Hampshire. Last December
both of these States made "A big drive for
lunds to right tuberculosis. The increased
activity against tuberculosis made pos
sible by these funds has already resulted
IN large number of patients entering the
hospitals of these States and in the com
/ ing months both of the States will doubt
less need every available bed for patients
i'll their own State. Mr. Slocum said that
he had taken this matter up with the
chairman of the Washington County Hos
pital commission Washington county has
voted to bond itself $4,000 for the con-
structon and equipment of a county tu-
berculosis hospital and the site for this
hospital has been purchased. However.
during the war the government opposed
using material for the construction of
| the hospital and since the war the price
of building material has increased to such
an extent that the $1,000 will not build
the kind Of institution proposed. There
I is n farm house on the site purchased for
! this hospital and as soon as the snow goes
off. +. g. Rowland of Barre will
call a meeting of the County Tubercu-
| losis Hospital commission and a rep
resentative of the State Board of Health
and of tho Vermont tuberculosis ASSOC
| citation to investigate this building with
the purpose of making such alterations
| ms will make 1t possible to accommodate
about twelve patients Mr.. Slocun further
stated that this matter had been taken
mp with the State Board of Health and
the following plan had been approved by
| the board; First, that under the law en-
nbling counties to construct tuberculosis
hospitals agitation should be begun at
once for four different counties to bond
/ themselves for enough money TO pur-
chase a suitable residence near "A large
village which can be changed into a tu-
bcrcuosis hospital for some eight 10
patients. that each OF these hospitals
should he in charge of a registered nurse
and a care-taker, and that by II special
| arrangement, the physicians of tho near
by village a physician should oail once
every day and oftener when needed. 1t
is estimated that the expense IN con-
structng such a hospital would he be-
tween ten and fifteen Thousand dollars
and that while there would not I've the
facilities for special treatment that a
more elaborate hospital would have, the
patients would be made comfort able and
the danger of injecting other people re-
moved Moreover when Washington
county builds its more elaborate hospi-
tai, cases requiring special treatment
could be admitted to that hospital,
Since II is necessary that this matter
should be voted on by each town In the
county at the town meeting it viii prob
ably have to go over until next spring
On the other hand Mr.. Slocum stated that
he had authority to say that II suita-
BILE building properly located were Of
fered the money for making the neces-
sary alterations and equipment would be
Forthcoming
II is most important that an nstitu-
ton Of this kind should he located neal
burlington for he purpose of providing
clinical material for the medical college
There has been general complaint
against medical colleges throughout the
country that the graduates had not re
coived an adequate training in the dag
nosis and treatment Of tuberculosis the
medical college of the University or Yer
: mont is anxious 10 give such "A training
TO its students but is handicapped by the
fact that there Is no institution for the
care OF tuberculosis patients within
reasonable distance of the college
In view of these facts IL was voted thai
the directors of the Vermont tuberculosis
association that agitation should he be
gun al once for the opening of a hospita
. for tuberculosis cases too far advanced
. IN putCr pittsford