OCR Text |
Show HEALTH ' j BY" UNCLE SAM, M. D. J Health Questions Will Be Answered An-swered If Sent to Information Bureau, U. S. Public Health Service, Serv-ice, Washington, D. C. - O TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS Ono o the v'ery big problems confronting con-fronting the medical world today is hospital care for persons suffering with tuberclousls. Most of the hospitals hospi-tals In the United States, where general gener-al dlaoaBes tre treated, will not accept sufCerors with the while plague. J Many years ago physicians believed that tuberculosis was not only highly I "catching," even among adults, but that it could not be successfully treated treat-ed except In certain climates and in especially constructed institutions. As ,a result of this widespread theory," gen 1 oral hospitals adopted a closed-door policy against this very common dis- 'ease. Persons who were not financially finan-cially able to go long distances to private pri-vate sanatoria, or who lived In com- J munition which did not support tuber- jculosls camps, simply had to get along as best they could. ) Today the sentiment regarding tuberculosis tu-berculosis has undergono a chauge so far as most of the medical profession is concerned. A chango of climate is I no longer consldored a necessity. Or. tho (nnlrfir It Co l.,.U..,.,l . 1 . iuv, . v w w lit j , v iO UtllUIL'U II1U JJit- tlent may be treated just as beneficial-tly beneficial-tly In tho place where ho lives as else-I else-I whore, provided ho has the right sort of medical care, suitable diet and proper prop-er facilities for getting fresh nir treatment. treat-ment. j Just now the closcd-dcor policy I? working u hardship on discharged sol-'dlers, sol-'dlers, who dovoloped tuberculosis dur-:lng dur-:lng service in the war. Tho number of these sufferers is now several thou 'sand. With such tuberculosis hospitals as there are crowded to capacity with private patients, it Is proving a most difficult matter to provide proper .treatment for these men. Although the public health service is construct-; construct-; Ing and purchasing hospitals as rapid-ily rapid-ily as possible, .it has been Impossible jto provide in so short a whllo a sufficient suf-ficient number of beds to caro for ap-1 plicanta for treatment. Tho refusal: of general hospitals to admit suffer- era works a real hardship on theso un-'fortunatea un-'fortunatea as well as patients from tho j general public. I Tuberculosis is no longer regarded as so highly "catching", among adults, j Physicians now know that under prop ,cr supervision thoro is little danger of it being communicated to nnother, particularly par-ticularly In a hospital where such supervision su-pervision Is possible, Indpetl, tho general gen-eral hospitals now accept wtihout question ques-tion numerous diseases moro dangerous danger-ous to other patients. Among these may bo mentioned influenza, pneumonia pneumo-nia and typhoid fever. Q. Four years ago my son was afflicted af-flicted with "tuberculosis of tho bone" Jn tho left hip. After being bedridden for a year he recovored enough to get on his feet. At first I did not notice any difference In his walk, but later I noticed that, his right leg began to slant outward. Could this be remedied? reme-died? A. Tuberculosis of the bone is often treated very successfully by modern orthopedic surgeons. In most cases prolonged pro-longed Immobilization and rest const!-' tute tho essentials of the treatment. Discuss the matter at once with your physician and havo him refer you to some good orthopedic specialist, or take your child to some good orthopedic orthope-dic dispensary or hospital for treatment |