Show CHRISTMAS SEALS Tuberculosis Is s Nations Nation's Most Costly Communicable Disease In Its never ending battle against tuberculosis the National Tuberculosis Tuberculosis losis Association again this year continues Its Us sale of Christmas seals for funds with which to carry on Its program of education medical research and rehabilitation the nations nation's most costly communicable cable disease The st story iy of Christmas seals In Inthis Inthis inthis this county countr Is the story of the battle against a disease that takes more than lives a year in the United States Christmas seals have been sold in this country since 1907 In that year the late Miss Emily P. P Bissell put on a seal sale In her home town of Wilmington Del to raise funds to help a group of doctors continue the treatment of a small number of tuberculosis patients When a PhiladelphIa Philadelphia Philadelphia Phila Phila- delphia newspaper threw its support support support sup sup- port behind the sale success was assured and was realized Miss Bissells Bissell's goal had been THE TIIE IDEA was Imported from Denmark In that country Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas seals had been sold In 1904 the year the NTA was organized because an obscure postal clerk EInar thought people should help needy children at Christmas time He conceived the idea of a Christmas seal on letters as a way to raise money The first seal funds In Denmark were vere used to build a sanatorium for tuber tuber- culous children Jacob A. A Riffs Riis an American citIzen citizen citizen citi citI- zen of Danish birth proved he bridge over which the seal traveled from Denmark to America He wrote an article about the Danish seal which was published in this country and suggested that the idea be adopted Miss Bissell remembered remembered remembered re re- re- re the article when when she she was looking for a means of raising funds and acted on his suggestions THE AMERICAN Christmas seals are sold by local tuberculosis association association association asso asso- which retain approximately 75 per cent of the proceeds The balance is forwarded to the state association which In turn allocated six per cent to the national Thus 94 per cent of seal funds are used to support tuberculosis control programs programs pro pro- grams within the state where the money was contributed The national and local associations associations associations are fighting tuberculosis on four broad fronts 1 Education getting Education getting true facts about tuberculosis and its prevention prevention prevention tion to large groups of people 2 Case finding searching findIng searching out tuberculosis wherever it Is and seeing seeing seeing see see- ing that treatment is provided for persons with active disease 3 Rehabilitation helping the tuberculosis patient adjust to his changed condition and prepare for useful living when his disease is arrested 4 Medical research research aiding aiding qualified qualified fied fled investigators through annual grants in their continuous search for more knowledge about tuber tuber- This is the broad program of NTA that benefits when Americans buy Christmas seals |