The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1921-12-08
BY
DIR. G. n. RAMSEY

IN. VI Tie hfNmOG'
The grand ballroom of the Waldorf
Astoria with it's gilded chairs, gold
leaf and crimson plush hanging, crown
ed, not with an aggregation or mllllon-
aire amusement seekers, but Win
members of the National Tuberculosis
Association at their annual meeting!
Near the city of Detroit, new instltu-
ton a thoroughly modern treproot
construction, built on series OF WOOD
ed hills-a million dollar tuberculosis
sanatorium And throughout Micnl-
gan many similar institutions, many
clinics and hundreds of workers act
lively engaged In the tuberculosis pat
tie! There are still consumptives.
Most of us hear about some white
plague victim every day, and, in our
routine existences, we find little evil
dence that the time and money devot-
ed to tuberculosis work are bringing
desired results.
A study of the tuberculosis death
rate Is the best means OF judging
whether our question deserves an al
firmative reply or not. IL we are saw
ing lives, the campaign is amply Justl-
fed. Its cost Is overbalanced by saw
ing the state the financial loss incur
red by deaths and the money expended
in the care of sick and INDECENT
patients.
The active campaign has been going
on in this country for many years and
for a much longer time in England
and Germany In France there mas
been less unified effort. The death
rate from tuberculosis in Paris is
great deal higher than in London or
New York or even Berlin.
During the past few years our own
death rate has dropped amazingly.
Plotted representations of white plague
victims all show gratifying downhill
curves. The figures in our own state
are most encouraging. From 1906 TO
1910, 1877 people in every hundred
thousand died from tuberculosis; in
1919, S5.S. The difference, 1873 people,
goodly number Of men, women and
children.
Results Of the tuberculosis Battle
One family lives in a northern PENN
sula lakeshore town. Mr.. Jones, as
we shall call him, was found to be SUI
fering from tuberculosis at clinic
five years ago. He followed recon-
mendations. spent long period at the
state sanatorium, and returned home
cured? Unfortunately not. His case
was too far advanced for that. In
stead, he returned with an education.
He learned the rules that keep tuber-
culous people working and prevent
them from spreading the disease to
others. Since his return, he's Deen
earning money enough to provide Mrs.
Jones and the two Jones youngsters
with comfortable, green-shingled
bungalow. Mrs. Jones and the chill
dren are free from consumption-Mr.
Jones knows this is true because he
sent them repeatedly to the clinic.
This family and the thousands like
them are, in a great measure, the re-
suits of the tuberculosis battle. They
are the reasons for the labor and ex-
pense incident to large gatherings OF
workers, and for the building OF new
institutions. The satisfying downhill
curve explains the patience and hopes
for better things to come OF all the
active fighters in the battle-patience
and hopes In spite Of the too frequent
death from consumption of somebody
we know, and the daily passing in the
street Of an obvious lunger.
DOCS IL pay vi COul DC IL pay INV
death rate figures are answers no
one can dispute.
The fact to be remembered is that
the battle is far from won. The vic
tory Is scarcely In sight. One out OF
every hundred Michigan citizens is
clinical consumptive. SO far the cam
paign has been successful. 1t has paid
II saving the Jones families is to con
III j.
gard tuberculosis as a rare disease
the fight must be carried on in the
same energetic manner. Each of us
must give time and money, and each
of us must remember that organiza
lions and sanatoriums are not any
where nearly as effective tuberculosis
weapons as carefully regulated lives
that pay tireless attention to age old
r,Iac III hvOfane and aXarciga