Evening star., 1937-12-05
SEALS SAVE LIVES
Postal Clerk in Denmark Was Inspired
to Originate Worldwide Fight
Against Plague.

weighed. Each letter and parcel car
ried Christmas stamps Of good wishes.
Christmas Eve arrived in the year
1908, and found Einar Holboell finish
ing his work preparatory to going
home. Suddenly he stopped and his
whole countenance reflected the idea
that had taken root In his mind. All
the Christmas stamps that had gone
through his hands were wasted as far
as any benefit to humanity was con-
cerned. Why not sell penny stickers
to help tuberculous children? Was it
Santa Claus that whispered this? No
one knew better than he the thousands
Of lives that were wasting away.
Immediately he took his friends into
his confidence, and these in turn in
terested men Of influence. The mail
clerks agreed to work overtime selling
health seals.
The people of Denmark liked the
idea; it soon spread to other countries,
and crossed the ocean to the United
States In 1907. Now every civilized
country in the world uses the Christ
mas seals and hundreds Of thousands
Of dollars . year 60 into sanatoriums
and preventive work.
No exact estimate can be made
Of the good that has been done
through Einar Holboelrs Christmas
present to the world, but one thing is
certain, and that is that the seal
touches all those who have the welfare
Of their fellow men at heart.
Every package and letter carrying
seal takes q message Of hope to men,
women and children who are pre-
vented from taking an active part in
life.
THE Health Department of Wash
ington Is making Q determined
drive against the disease, which is 80
prevalent here. Glendale Hospital
has been opened and there Is a school
for tuberculous children, but there are
hundreds Of cases in the homes and on
the streets.
We have no legislation which can
be enforced against those who are .
menace to their community, IS Eng
land has. She supports $4,000 beds
where patients are cared for gratis and
can be compelled to 60. The rich 60
to Switzerland, though . British spec
ialist, recently in Washington, said
they have concluded that climate and
fresh air are not essential to the cure.
What Is more essential is freedom from
worry. and this is obtained for the
| poor in the free beds. Rest and good
food augment this
The belief Of the American doctors
that fresh air is great asset has led
to most OF the States building sana-
toriums, but some Of our best sanato-
RUINS are private institutions A de-
lightful example of these is Hill Crest
IN West Virginia, high above the fog
OF the Kanawha River and the smoke
Of the factories of Charleston.
This sanatorium for children is
reached by steep, winding road.
which finally arrives at the 2s-acre
reservation which has become a model
health center. The visitor Is met by
the eficient superintendent, who for
is years has devoted her time and en-
ergy to the care of the little patients.
With great pride she conducts q tour
Of inspection Of the nine buildings
which have grown up from a single
tent in 1909.
| The tuberculosis League OPEN
ed summer camp in that year, the
results Of which were sufficiently sat
isfactory to demonstrate the need of
permanent Sanatorium. Private
contributions and Q group of girls who
call themselves the White Cross So
ciety made this possible.
FROM spotless beds in modern fire-
proof buildings little children,s
smiling faces turn toward the visitor.
Being strapped to . bed is indeed a
handicap. but 1t does not interfere
with the happiness Of these patients,
nor with their education, for q regu-
larly assigned teacher from the pub
lie school force gives her whole time
to them.
In the school rooms in the recrea-
ton building all who can attend
classes do so and 60 into the work.
shops where useful occupations are
learned. Happy faces these, for they
belong to Boy and Girl Scouts who
are tremendously proud of their troops.
According to the superintendent, the
whole atmosphere Of the sanatorium
has changed under the Scout rule Of
happiness. -
Therapeutic lamps In the ceiling Of
the recreation room furnish sunshine
(see SEALS, Pass C-6y