Evening star., 1923-12-05

A saving, of over one million dol
lars last year is declared to be the
value in cold cash to the city OF
Washington of the fight the Tuper-
culosis Association has been waging
against disease and for health.
That this is a conservative esti-
mate is asserted from comparison
Of the death rate last year In the
District of Columbia as compared
with that of twenty years ago from
tuberculosis. This comparison show
ed q proportionate saving last year
over the year 1900 of 6S7 lives. Any
one who has had tuberculosis in his
family knows the cost of waiting
for the cure tuberculosis reduces
the average of expected human life
two and one-half years.
Taking the annual average earn
ings of the individual at $1,000, and
allowing for medical care and treat
ment in a. sanitorium or elsewhere
at least $500, the saving of over
million dollars is apparent.
Much Suffering Saved.
But this is held to be the least of
the saving. Far more than this pc
cuniary aspect of the matter is the
physical and mental suffering both to
patient and family, in the saving of
these lives and lin the prevention OF
thousands of other cases by the ed
ucational work of the tuberculosis
Association.
The present loss. it is declared, can
be much further reduced If work be-
gins with children; by seeing that
each is examined as he enters the
public school; that defects are dis
covered and corrected at the earliest
moment and that he is graduated
tit physical specimen. For adults the
advice given by the Washington Tu-
berculosis Association is to seek med
ical examination by competent
physician annually just as one has
his motor car examined periodically
to discover possible wear and tear
and breakage.
The birmingham experiment. where
"A typical community was studied and
Il 100 per cent efficient program in
the control of the disease was un
dertaken. showed, it is stated, that
Tor every active case of tuberculosis
which was discovered by medical ex-
animation there were eight others
present n the community. The prob
lem was to find these eight others
in time, when they could be ar
rested.
Case of Mathewson.
When Christy Mathewson. the fa-
nous pitcher of the Giants, finally
gave up and went to Saranac Lake
10 take the cure the doctors found
both lungs affected. Scarcely one
person in 100 would have had the
courage and strength of will that
Mathewson has shown in his fight
for life. After two and one-half
years spent in regaining his health
a long part of the time on his back
and not even allowed to feed him
self-Mathewson was declared last
spring an arrested case and since
that time has been manager of the
Boston Braves. Now, at the close
of the season, he goes back to spend
the winter with Mrs. Mathewson
and Christy, jr., at Saranac lake.
there to confirm his progress and
prepare himself to be physically fit
for another season.
Health for yourself and for your
loved ones is promoted by the liberal
citation declares. Each seal on Christ
sage of hope and triumph and points
TO the time when tuberculosis, which
formerly claimed one person in seven
of the entire population, shall be as
little known as smallpox and diph
liberia and typhoid. This is the mes
sage that the Washington Tubercu-
losis Associations is trying to place
before the people.
Reports from seal headquarters,
1922 1Ith street northwest, showed
receipts from the sale of seals up to
noon today of approximately $4,000.
representing the sale of 100000 of
these Christmas tokens.