The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-04-27
COMPLETE SURVEY
FOR TUBERCULOSIS
MISS LEILA ROWLEY REPORTS
THIRTY-NINE CASES
IN THIS COUNTY
WHITE PLAGUE ExACTS HIGH DEATH TOLL
Greater Health Precautions and Bet
ter Forms Of Treatment are
Badly Needed

The tuberculosis survey of Brook
ings county has been completed and
Miss Leila Rowley, the public health
nurse, who made the survey, reports
80 diagnosed cases of the terrible
plague, six of which at the present
time are out of the county receiving
treatment. In the past five years the
death toll Of the white plague has been
40, distributed over the years as fol-
lows: 1917, IL; 1913, 8; 1919, 8; 1920,
IL; 1921, 8. The object of the recent
survey was to get in touch with per-
sons affected, especially those yet in
the early stages, that they might re-
ceive the necessary treatment and
car for the cure of the disease.
While visiting in one community,
the nurse was requested to visit a
family in another county, and found
a mother of four small children, af-
fected with the disease, who was do
ing her W h~ousework and caring for
her children. The daily duties Of this
mother was enough to tax the strength
u a iOoitiy oliio anu IL Id l.
cult to understand how she was able
to stand the strain without a complete
breakdown. Not only was this woman
paving her own way to the grave, but
was also ~endangering the lives of her
children and those with whom she
came in contact. Cases of this kind,
where the person affected is not isO-
lated from the rest Of the family Is
not uncommon, the nurse reports, as
we have Il in this county. 1t is
through such carelessness that fam
lilies are completely wiped out by the
disease.
Homes where there is a case of
tuberculosis. and frequently there are
two or more cases in one family,
usually are not equipped with sleep
ing porches nor built in such a way
that the patient can be isolated. How
often we look in upon a patient, who
because Of the discomfort Of lying
down, is sitting before the kitchen
stove, with a good warm fire burn
ing and all the windows closed, and
usually there are five or six members
of the family sitting in the same
rOom," Miss Rowley adds.
Fresh air and full sunlight is abb
~solutely essential in the treatment Of
tuberculosis and patients should at
least have their windows opened day
and night. There are too many people
who cling to the old belief that night
air is poisonous and who tightly close
all windows to prevent being poisoned
by fresh air. Remember that tuber-
cular germs cannot live, exposed to
sunlight"
The greatest caution should be
taken that all houses or rooms form
erly occupied by a person affected
with the disease be thoroughly fumi-
gated. In some houses several deaths
have occurred and the majority Of
these houses have never been fumi-
gated.
The Brookings county public health
committee is planning on a free
clinic in May. The examinations will
be made by DR.. Woodwork of the
state sanitarium at Custer, and the
attending physician. The examina-
tons will be free to all people who
have been living with tubercular pa
tients or those who feel they have any
SYMPTOMS Of the disease. Anyone de-
string an examination at this time
should write or phone to the public
health nurse, Miss Leila Rowley,
Brookings, S. ID.