The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1923-06-01
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. MEETING.

AT the annual meeting of the Okla
hogan County Anti-Tuberculosis
League, held at Tonasket Tuesday,
DR.. Frederick Slyfield, a specialist of
Seattle. pointed out a number of fall
cies in common practice in the treat
ment of tuberculosis.
"We have learned by bitter exper-
ienee." ne said that every tubercu-
losis patient has got to go to bed.
Any one who tries to avoid this is in
yiting disaster The fact that a patient
looks we'll, feels we'll. and is proud of
his physique has nothing to do with
the cure Of tuberculosis.
"One of the most common things
that | meet in connection with the
treatment of tuberculosis is patient
going out to the mountains for a
month or going out on ranch and
getting light work (whatever that isl .
The whole idea is wrong. A few
pounds gain in weight has not i'm
proved the lungs.
another thing that is wrong is that
the patient must live on cream and
raw eggs The proper thing as | see
1t, is to keep a tuberculosis patient on
a general diet so long as the digestion
is all right. Milk is good. but it should
be given straight. When anything is
added to it the value is lessened. An
old doctor once told me that more
people died of cream and raw eggs
than died of tuberculosis. Sick people
are stuffed with things that well per-
son COUNT get away with and the
sick are expected to get well on 1t.
DR.. Slyfield is not connected with
the anti-tuberculosis league organlza-
ton, but his services are given gratu-
itously in conducting clinics and lee
turing. About two years ago ne made
examinations at a clinic held in Okla
hogan and another in Oroville.
1--WE firmly believe through tragic
experience he told his audience
"that unless we go to the bottom and
deal with the community from which
the tuberculosis patients come we
will never get anywhere with the
problem"
In speaking of the clinics ne refer
red to the fact that they were only
held in counties employing a county
nurse for the reason that the routine
details Of arranging the clinics ano
securing follow-up reports on the
condition of the patients examined
could not be done by any private
agency. He emphasized the fact ina
no attempt was made to treat patients
at the clinics but to cooperate WIFI
local physicians in examining ano
suggesting methods. tuberculosis pa
TENTS must be under absolute obser
vation for months, according 20 Dr
Slyfeld, and no off hand treatmen
was practicable.
DR.. Slyfield 1eplored quack adver
Using and cure-alls. 1t is easier to sci
fake oil stock than life insurance. II
remarked. II sometimes think in on
tuberculosis program we ought u
put something wildly spectacular, pu
the trouble is that sort Of thing Is al
ways associated with quackery.'
That climate has nothing to do VIII
the cure of tuberculosis was an asser
ton of the speaker. A few years age
Wien there was a theory that the nc
weather of the southwestern state
would benefit the tuberculosis patien
by baking the disease out of his sys
tenn, many sick people sought TO tax
advantage of the climate. PuDllclt
propaganda was launched to attra'
the ricn, but it attracted the poor d
we'll.
There are other things about tupel
culosis that are wrong, DR.. Slyiie'
said One was the idea that when I'll
patient developed tuberculosis he
gone. Unfortunately that is the wa
1t often results, but there is no need
1t. Another erroneous conclusion
that we have learned all there Is
know about tuberculosis. There Is
lot yet to learn. We have learned I'll
the great majority of tuberculos
patients do not need to die, put WI
die unless they carry out the line
treatment that we have found is IL
perative.
Youth is the danger time for tube
culosis," DR.. Slyfield emphasize
for the reason that there mas
been time enough for the child 10
sist the germs. During our lives
take in many tubercle bacillus, put
We grow older the power OIL resi-
ence increases" Adults do not OH
contract tuberculosis, but in wea
ened condition are subject to the
ton of tubercle bacillus that nd
been dormant since youth, Dr. Siyllt
explained. He argued that the ulse'
was not inherited but the germs We
often taken into the system Oh otl
members Of the family of a strlch
person, and at varying lengths Oh u!
began their deadly work, depehui
on the character of ones eondltioi,
DR.. Slyfield's talk was given a' y
evening session of the league.
meeting was held in the Comiiiun
church Tonasket and supper v
served the delegates at the buhsa'