The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1931-12-17
SEAL SALE is
FINANCING T.B.
FIGHT IN u. S.
County President Tells of
Work League is Accom-
plishing; No Cure Yet but
Gains are Being Made

Gains are Being Made
advances in the fight against
tuberculosis great life-saving
adventure financed by Christmas
seals-would be impossible today
except for the work of one man."
said Mrs. G. II. Shanafelt, Benton
County tuberculosis League pres
ident today. ''The man was Robert
Koch, German physician, who an
nounced this discovery almost fif-
ty years ago."
81 have just received an an
nouncement, ~ cbntinued M S.
Shanafelt, "that there is to be a
nationwide commemoration of this
event March "a, 1882. The infor-
nation comes from DIR. Kendall
Emerson, managing director of
the National tuberculosis Associa-
ton, of which our local organiza-
talon is a part. In all there are
2O84 tuberculosis associations and
committees now engaged in the
Christmas seal sale who will pari
ticipate in appropriate ceremonies
everywhere to honor the name of
the man who first made it pos
sible to begin the fight against tu-
berculosis."
This will give the tuberculosis
associations two anniversaries
within six months, for this is the
twenty fifth year that Christmas
seals have been sold. The seal was
introduced in this country by
Emily P. Bissel of Wilmington,
Delaware, who has been active in
tuberculosis work since she con-
Quoted the first sale in 1907, and
is today the president of the Del
aware Anti Tuberculosis Society.
The movement grew from small be-
ginnings with a sale conducted by
the Red Cross which turned over
the funds to the National Tuber-
culosis Association. In 1920 the
latter organization took charge of
the sale itself as well as the health
work done with the money obtain
ed.
Koch's Methods Widely Used
In planning the anniversary cell
ebration of the discovery of h e
germ, the tuberculosis associations
will point out that modern bac-
teriology has been built on til e
methods used by DR.. Koch. Hun
dreds of disease germs have been
isolated since his discovery and
many of them have succumbed to
remedies produced by the scientific
research following their discovery.
Yet the germ of tuberculosis it.
SELF, specialists have found, up to
this time has defied the quest of
scientists for cure.
Today efforts are being made
along this line by the research
committee of the National Tuber-
culosis Association with funds de-
rlved from the seal sale. Though
the germ has defied science as
yet, progress is being made toward
solution of the tuberculosis
problem. DR.. Edward Livingston
irudeau, the first president of the
National tuberculosis Association,
once said that anything which
would kill the germ would also kill
It's host, and so far this has prov
ed to be true.
More than 10000 persons die
from tuberculosis in the United
States each year, although only
oae person dies today for two who
aled In 1907, when the seal sale
oegan, the association has found.
scientists are not relaxing their
Efforts, for tuberculosis still kills
more persons between the ages
VI 11teen and forty-five than any
o.ner allment, according to reports
VI the national association.
otatlsticians have attempted to
give some idea of the power of the
suoercule bacillus by estimating
.le monetary cost of the havic
y. maien 1t causes. That a cure for
s .lis disease would pay in dollars
aha cents is shown by the estimate
ma, Il the cost of tuberculosis in the
- u ute States is approximately
N'o7O,O0o,OOO a year.
According to Jessamine S. Whit
Ty' statistician of the National
aoerculosis Association, this cost
s0mprises the following items:
!. maintenance of those ill in
ssitarlums or for equivalent care,
s.il,oO0,O00; 2. Loss in earnings
" enose i'll in sanitariums or pri-
vat. sa1e homes. s355, 100000; 8. Flu
lure earnings cut off by premature
death, $3.50, 100000.
IN other words, the discovery of
cure for tuberculosis would save
sum equal to $40 a year for
I ery person in the country. All
car part of this bill, Miss Whit
- mas shown, in the lessening of