Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1934-07-06
Say Much Remains
To Be Done In
tuberculosis Work

lhuNA ~ DC 0OAG IA NAN
treatment of cases of tuberculosis
before an adequate solution OF
many of its problems can be at
tanned, according to a report made
public in New York City on Thurs
day, July 5, by Beulah Weldon Bur
hoe, Rehabilitation Secretary of the
National tuberculosis Association.
1.-THE high rate of relapse" states
Mrs. BurhOe, Indicates a weakness
either in medical or social treat
ment or in both. There are more
than $4,000 cases discharged from
588 tuberculosis sanatoria in the
United States each year, and it is
patients has been in a sanatorium
before. This means that $4,000 of
the 125,0OO return each year for
further treatment. There are many
more who have relapses but do not
return TO sanatoria. Of the S58,00O,-
900 spent each year on sanatOrium
care, approximately $l2,000000 is
spent on those who have had PREF
iOus sanatorium care"
Mrs. BurhOe's report covers a
three-year study of social problems
which grow out of the inability of
many discharged patients to earn a
living at work consistent with their
ability and suitable to their physi-
cal condition. She examined exist
ing methods of solving the question
through the provision of workshops
in which goods are manufactured
for the garment trades under medi-
cal supervision so that former pa
tients are not subjected to strain
beyond their strength. She studied
similar experiments in watch re-
pairing, jewelry making and cabi-
net making. Other efforts have been
made in convalescent camps. where
general outdoor work is used in the
effort to harden patients to do man
ual labor so they will not break
down when they return to ordinary
work In all the instances examined,
definite prescriptions for work are
made at regular intervals, and in
many of them, the employees are
paid regularly for the work they
do.
These special facilities states |
Mrs. Burhoe, only provide assiS-
lance for one in as, or one and one
third per cent of those in need of
such help. They can be said, there
fore, to be far from adequate. But ,
there has developed quietly and with ]
almost no publicity procedure
which is giving supervised work 10
a large number of tuberculous i'll ,
the practice of employing |
on the stats of tubercu-
losis sanatoTia. While the number /
of eX-patients thus employed is on /
ly about $500 out OF a total of 30
300 employment opportunities in .
sanatoria of the country, it is sig !
that this number is seven .
times the number employed in spe
cialized institutions for the en-
ployment of the tuberculosis Mrs |
BurhOe found that IS per cent of |
studied approve the prac
Iice of employing eX-patients. when .
selected and supervised.
1t bridges the gap between san
states the report. other !
values are: raising the morale of |
the patients as well as the employ
ees; enabling the sanatorium to
carry a staff of much higher quality
than it could maintain with regu-
lar employees; and preventing re-
lapses."
But the inadequacy of all these
methods combined to meet the needs
Of the situation is pointed out by
Mrs. BurhOe as a result of an analy-
sis of sanatorium patients them
selves from the standpOints of edu-
background, desires for flu
ure employment, and educational
choices. Representative institutions
n all parts of the country were Sc
ected, with total of 1888 patients.
Sixty per cent of the patients had
no further than the
,rade school. Internationally"
tates Mrs. Burhoe, they are in
General unfit to enter jobs suitable
o their physical handicap, and
physically they are usually unfit for
he only kinds of work for which
heir meager education equips them.
I is significant that there are al
lOst three times as many patients
nth no schooling or less than one
ear as there are college graduates.
hey are Occupationally unstable
nd need vocational advice-only ,
sc per cent wish to enter to their {
Ormer jobs, q per cent wish to
hange, and q per cent are unde- :
ided. But SIS per cent expressed :
as wanting to study
lille in the sanatorium, favOring
subjects, household arts ,
nd vocational subjects which
lould fit them better for a return
} active life after discharge from
he sanatorium."
The report recommends Offering
1ult educational facilities to
reater number of tuberculosis pa :
ents. Amy other approach to the
roblem, Mrs. Burhoe indicates, is
lie result of thinking in terms of
le job rather than the patient. Ra- I
Ter than trying to find work that =
Idividual eX-patients can manage 4
do, she advocates an effort TO ,
scOver what the individual pa =
ent can be taught to do that will r
luip him to meet life problems la =
r, not in specialized institutions,
1t in the usual competition of So =
ETY..
Mrs. Burhoe urges a social analy- fc
S OF the patient as soon as pos
BILE after admission, to include his L
lancial status, family relation =
Fps, educational and social back 7