Gunnison news-champion., 1920-11-26
Measures Are Needed
Against tuberculosis
Secretary Of State Health Board
Says Colorado Has About
5000 Active Gases.

TIE time has come for Colorado TO
take adequate measures 10 nee; and
sontr5I Its peculiarly Individual prob
lem q tuberculosis. according 10 Dr.
RI DEinkwaier. secretary of the
State Board OF Health. Or. Drink
rafer pointed on; the seriousness OF
the matter In an interview recently
when he declared that the lntes, fig
ares compiled by his board show that
ther. were 2030 deaths from 'tubercu-
los. alone In Colorado last year He
estimates the number OF active cases
Of tuberculosis in this state today TO
be approximately 23.OcD with about
the same number Of Inactive csses-
Tile tuberculosis problem In Colo
rudn. saii Dr. Drinkwater, has GER
tain peculiar features distinctly It's
own. We know that great many
persons suffering from tuberculosis
come TO this stat. every year because
Of its wonderful climate and altitude.
lust how many eases from other sec
lions of the country are added TO
those developed here we do not know
definitely. although the Colorado Tu-
bercUlosis Association, rs a part OF
the splendid work II is doing. Is now
making a survey of the INDECENT mi
Srntory cases OF tuberculosis which
have come within the view Of institu-
lions In Denver. Colorado Springs and
Grand Junction. The result OF this
survey win give us a definite Idea of
the number OF persons who come from
oth"r states in the hope Of regalninG
their health and then drift to one OF
th.s- cities. where eventually their
liable Institutions for help.
Many of these unfortunates. who
might have been saved II they had
stayed at home and secured admission
to a hospital there, come TO Colorado
without funds and eke out an exist
.nce untIl final breakdown compeis
them to come for treatment To some
public institution. Only TOO often they
are In such condition that they can
not be returned TO their homes, nor is
there any hope for them when they are
In that Stage. There are from 30 to 90
Of such cases In the Denver County
Hospital nj all times. remember that
one night when ! happened to be Mt
the County hospital, seven Of these un-
fortunates died.
Every one of these persons who 10
unable to pay for treatment and who
is avoiding the welfare Institutions for
fear that he may be sent back TO his
home in some other state is a source
OF Infection and adds to the Increase
Of the disease here. believe that II
Colorado had an adequate system Of
reporting these INDECENT. or nearly in
digent cases, and n definite pan of
returning them to their places Of ori-
gin. the lives OF many of them might
be prolonged and the state saved at
least s2,0oo.0o0 year.
General education Of the public In
regard TO the nature OF tuberculosis
and the rules of hygienic living where
by its spread may be checked Is neces-
sary. Fortunately there Is vigorous,
effective work done along this line by
the Colorado Tuberculosis Association,
private organization Of publicspirit-
ed men and women. who have been
educating people throughout the state
by means of public health nursing
service, clinics, school examinations
and the Introduction OF the Modern
Health Crusade into the schools of SO
counties. When the time comes that
the State Board of Health ID In a po-
sition TO take up .anti-tuberculosIs
work In the way 1t should, we shall
be able 10 give the Colorado Tubercu-
losis Association the cooperation Il
deserves In its present single-handed
fight against the disease"