OCR Text |
Show THE WHITE PLAGUE' BECOMES PROBLEM 5 IN SIAIEJF UTAH Dr. II. (i. Merrill of Provo presided at the Fifth Annual Conference of the Utah Public Health association, held at the Hotel Utah, Salt Lake, Thursday. Thurs-day. Health experts from half a dozen doz-en states were present as were a number of federal health officials. Dr. Merrill reports the conference one of the most interesting ever conduced con-duced in this state. The "White. Plague" was the principal subject discussed. dis-cussed. James II. Wallis, executive secretary secre-tary of the association, read his an-" an-" mint report In which the work of the association for the last year was reviewed. re-viewed. Mr. Wallis said the Traveling Travel-ing Health Clinic maintained by the association had found that the tuberculosis tuber-culosis prdblem had reached a stage which mace It imperative for the pro-pie pro-pie of Utah to establish a sanatorium. Of tne first 250 diagnosed cases he said, more than one-half were Utah born. "This," Mr. Wallis said, "disposes of the argument that all Utah tuberculosis tuber-culosis is Imported. And besides these cases which we have examined we know that there are 200 deaths annually an-nually In this state from tuberculosis. This means that there are 2000 active tuberculosis cases In the state today." After urging that the public give united support to the proposal for a sanatorium, Mr. Wallis Bpoke of the work of the home ani school nursing organizations. This work, he said, Is being neglected. "It is to be regretted," he declared, "that in some school districts school nui-Bes have been relieved from duty because of the cry of excessive taxation." tax-ation." Mr. Wallis reviewed the results of the "Modern Health Crusade" In the schools, saying that It had been so successful that dental service would $e provided wherever possible next year. In closing he appealed for support sup-port for the ChrlBtmas Seal campaign. "Until public funds nro available," he explained, "health work Is dependent depend-ent on the seal sales for support. It must be carried on." Dr. Warren A. Colton, of the United Unit-ed States public health service gave statistics on Utah tuberculosis In support sup-port of the statements made by Mr. Wallis. Dr. H. A. Pattlson of New York City, medical director of the National Nation-al Tuberculosis association, explained the purposes of sanatoria for consumptives. con-sumptives. "There Is no medicine for that disease," dis-ease," Dr. Pattlson said. "Fresh air, optimism, rest, and good fond effect a cure if the case Is not too far gone But while that cure Is being effected all who come into contact with the patient are in danger unless they know what precautions to use. Those who have sanatorium experience know. "A patient in a home is subject to the worries of domestlo problems. He cannot be as carefree as in a sanatorium. sanator-ium. Furthermore, he perils the health of all who live with him. In a sanatorium he is taught how to cure himself and how to protect others. oth-ers. And when that Is known to all consumptives the menace of contagion conta-gion is ended. "There Is another phase of the sanatorium. san-atorium. ' It will educate doctors and nurses to care for and recognize tuberculosis. tu-berculosis. Comparatively few physi-clans physi-clans outside of specialists know much about tuberculosis. Many nurses-some nurses-some of the best in Salt Lake, by the way will not take, a tuberculosis caBe. They are afraid of It. Yet it Is not more dangerous than typhoid. And they are not afraid of typhoid." Miss Jessamine S. Whitney of New 'oik, statistician for the national as -u'lntlon, supplied statistics which '.i'e they rave Utah the lowest tub ' its death rate, indicated that en-t-ige was soaring at an i |