Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-05-13
.BURL|NGTONS PART
IN $4,000 DRIVE
Workers Hope to Secure Enough
Above City's Quota so That a
Fund Can Be Started for a
County tuberculosis Proven.
tOrium


aware Of the need of greater effort in
fighting the spread Of tuberculosis In the
State, and that Burlington is preparing
TO take the lead In the drive for $50 900 In
the State from June to 10 to match the
$4,000 given by the Proctor family for
this work was demonstrated Monday eve-
ming at the meeting of representative
Burlingtonians at the Ethan Allen club
house The principal speakers at this meet
ing were Fred A. Rowland Of Montpelier.
State chairman Of the drive; Harold w.
Slocum, executive secretary Of the Yer
mont Tuberculosis association; DR.. c. F.
Dalton Of the State Board Of HEALTH DR..
G. II. Beecher. county chairman of the
drive: and Postmaster J. E. Burke Thorn
rs Wagner. president of the Vermont Tu-
berculosis association, and local chairman
Of the drive, presided.
The keynote Of the spirit which pervad-
Cd the meeting was struck by E. F. Geb-
hardt. just before the close, when he sug-
gested that Burlington go after $4,000.
the surplus over what Ia needed for the
State work to be used locally in Chittenden
county to start a fund for building a pre-
ventorium, such as is planned for each
county in the State as soon as the neces-
sary funds can be raised. Although no
definite action was taken to put this plan
met with much favor and 1t was the
general sentiment that a county organ
1xation be formed and a special drive made
for the local situation.
H. W. Slocum was the first speaker. He
called attention to the fact that one
tenth Of all the deaths in this country
are due to tuberculosis. and that one
third of the people who die between the
ages OF Is and 40 years died from tuber-
A1A L., ~,.tAz
fact that It Is now generally known that
tuberculosis can be cured II the case is
taken in time.
The problem Of tuberculosis IL a prob
lem of general health. said Mr.. Slocum.
Tuberculosis Is a germ disease and gains
It's hold on people when their resistance
q weakened. A large part of the fight
against tuberculosis is simply a fight to
keep general health conditions good.
Mr. Slocum outlined the plan which
the tuberculosis department Of the State
Board of Health Is now attempting to
carry out. 1t includes work through the
district health officers in the 10 health
districts Of the State, and It contemplates
the employment in the near future Of
district health nurses who will go into
the schools and assist the health officer
In each district to keep the children in
good health, looking after their teeth.
their tonsils their cleanliness. and other
simple matters Of health. These nurses
will also 60 into the home and look after
such conditions. Then there will be public
health stations In each heath district.
where examinations will be conducted,
to locate tubercular cases In their early
stages
In dealing with cases where tubercu-
aosis has already developed. said Mr..
0locum. the patients must be segregated
In order to protect other people. Just at
present, Vermont IL badly in need Of a
hospital where such patients can be segre-
gated. and 1t for this purpose mainly that
the present drive 10 being conducted. In
order TO further this work. It is planned
to 60 before tho next Legislature with a
bill permitting the association to go to the
various counties Of the State and put up
to them the proposition Of building small
county hospitals. with eight or ten beds
each, to take care of tubercular patients
In that county.
About the first Of September, a paid ex-
pert will begin work in the State to az
sist In the diagnosis and care Of tubercu-
1osis patients. in order that cases may be
discovered before they have reached what
Is known as the open" state and in or
der to more readily effect a cure. This
expert is making a thorough study Of tu-
bsrculosds in various hospitals and SAM.
tarums throughout the country and will
before coming to Vermont. take up ex-
tensive research in connection with the
work at Saranao Lake. N. Y. one Of the
leading tuberculosis centers In the coun-
try.
DIR. Dalton outlined IN some detail how
the disease Of tuberculosis works in the
human system, and told what the State
needs to fight 1t more successfully.
Mr.. Rowland. the State chairman. call
ed attention to the habit Of giving which
has been established through the war ant
declared that 1t Is right that it should
continue. He outlined the plan Of the pres
ent drive In the State and said that hi
expected that Burlington. as the larges
city in the State. would take the lead.
Mr., Wagner spoke of the fact that al
the money raised IN this drive will bt
used right here In Vermont. and II wal
also stated by Mr.. Slocum that go pei
cent of the amount raised In each com
munity will be used locally In that com
munity.
DR.. Bsecher and ]. e Burke both ex
pressed the certainty that the drive vii
20 over in Burlington and Chittender