Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1924-09-27
Wisconsin Has IL
Public Sanatario
Tuberculous Are Being Well Taken
Care OF in State; Climate Alone
Will Not Cure.

Wisconsin's tuberculous are being
cared for in Wisconsin. They are
not, with comparatively few except
ions, sent out by their physicians to
the southwest in a vain quest for
health, based on the mistaken belief
that climate alone will cure tuber-
culosis, only to find that a cure
takes time there as well as at home
and presents many more difficulties
especially in the way of finances.
This information is drawn from
report compiled by the National
tuberculosis Association which
points out that owing to the errone-
Gus theory that climate alone will
cure tuberculosis, cities of the south
west are overrun annually with
hundreds of consumptives from the
east and middle west who sooner or
later have to be supported at public
expense. This constitutes an unfair
burden on these communities whose
taxes and own mortality rate from
tuberculosis have been greatly in
creased in consequence. Wiscon-
sin supplies few of these migratory
health seekers. According to the
Association, in six cities of the
southwest there is one INDECENT
tubercuIous person to every l55 of
the entire population, and taking
some of the towns individually the
rate is much higher, Phoenix, for
instance, having one out Of every
So population.
An active campaign aga INST the
still all too common practice of
physicians of sending patients in the
advanced and moderately advanced
stages Of tuberculosis out west has
been carried on by the Wisconsin
Anti-Tuberculosis Association which
strongly urges treatment in Wiscon-
sins own public sanatoria. Tuber
culosis is a long, tedious disease, and
as a rule the patient is pretty well out
of funds by the time he decides to
seek health out west. 1t has been
definitely established that rest, fresh
air and nourishing food under the
supervision Of competent physician
will cure tuberculosis inalmost any
climate and that climate alone viii not
cure this disease. 1t appears, then,
little short Of inhuman to send pa
tient, who has probably little money
besides his railroad fare, to some
small southwestern city where the
hospital facilities, even if he could
pay for them, are already strained to
the utmost, and where light work,
such as the convalescing patient
might do is extremely scarce.
accommodating 1894 patients. Any
Wisconsin has II public santario
person who has resided in Wisconsin
for one year is eligible to receive free
care in these institutions if he Is IN
able to pay for such care. Persons
unable to pay for their care in such
institutions are not regarded as pau
pers for the length Of time, always
months and sometimes years, often
required to cure tuberculosis may
well find the most independent and
industrious person out Of funds Es-
pecial arrangements are made for
persons able to pay only part Of the
regular fee. No distinction is made
between the all pay, part-pay and
totally dependent patients.
Make the sanatorium the first and
not the last Of the tuberculous is the
slogan Of the Wisconsin Anti-Tuber-
culosis workers who through long
experience have become convinced
that in sanatorium treatment lies the
best and surest chance for tie pa
tents recovery.