The International Congress on Tuberculosis
By W. A. R.
On account of the inability of our medical workers in general to be in attendance at this meeting, and for the purpose of awakening on the part of all our people an interest in the world-wide warfare being waged against the great white plague, tuberculosis, the writer purposes to give in these columns a brief account of the Congress on Tuberculosis recently held in Washington. This, the sixth congress of this kind, was attended by the leading men in medicine and science from all parts of the world. The exhibits were intended to illustrate the world's work in its struggle against tuberculosis. Of the four hundred thirty-eight contributors to the exposition, three hundred twelve reside within the United States, and one hundred twenty-six elsewhere. Two hundred twenty-two of this number were collective contributions from associations, societies, and other corporate bodies. Of these, one hundred seventy contributions were from the United States, and fifty-two from other countries. A general catalogue of two hundred ninety-eight pages was given to tabulating the exhibits. The two upper floors of the new National Museum were occupied by these exhibits. The first thing which met one's eye upon reaching the second floor and turning to the west was the New York exhibit, which was probably the best and most extensive of all. From the miniature tenement-houses,—first as they were for years, and next as they are now and are planned to be,—one's attention was drawn to the numerous photographs of life in the overcrowded portions of New York City. In the next corridor were depicted, by placards, models of institutions, and statistics in various forms, the rapid ravages of tuberculosis, and the methods now being used in combating this disease. One of these placards gave the startling information that by far the largest number of deaths occur during the most useful period of life. Between twenty-one and fifty years, 68.3 per cent of deaths occur from tuberculosis, and 31.7 per cent at all other ages. Following the New York exhibit came Pennsylvania, with a very attractive and extensive display. For years the Pennsylvania Legislature has appropriated certain amounts annually to fight tuberculosis. From 1893 to 1899 five thousand dollars was used each year in this work. In 1901 sixty thousand dollars was set aside for the next two years, in 1903 one hundred seventy thousand dollars, and last year one million one hundred forty-seven thousand dollars. The Pennsylvania Department of Health gives this estimate of the economic cost of tuberculosis as compared with the leading products of the State:—
“Tuberculosis, $65,000,000; hay and19forage, $38,000,000; dairy products, $35,000,000; corn, $22,000,000; wheat, $15,000,000; oats, $12,000,000; fruit, $10,000,000; potatoes, $8,000,000. Next came the Maryland exhibit, with its sanitoria, and a vivid illustration of what is being done in Baltimore by the Instructive Visiting Nurses' Association. This showed that as many as fourteen hundred cases were treated daily. These figures show the utter neglect, on the part of a large proportion of the population, of the regulations intended to restrict the disease. Of one thousand one hundred twenty admitted to this clinic one day, nine were found to be adequately careful, one hundred forty-three to be fairly careful, seven hundred nineteen careless, and two hundred eighty-nine grossly careless, in caring for sputum, etc. Next followed Rhode Island, with its model outdoor sanitoria; Minnesota, with a record of tuberculin test of dairy herds required in nine of its leading cities; California, with its fresh-air sanitoria; South Carolina's exhibit of life among the long-leaf pines; Connecticut, giving special attention to organizing its working men in a fight against this disease, and encouraging a united effort in supporting the unfortunate victims of the disease; and Wisconsin, making use of the old-fashioned log house with the chinks left out, which provide adequate ventilation. Another interesting and very important feature forcibly illustrated was the inadequate amount of disinfectant used in fumigating rooms after infection. Three pounds of flowers of sulphur, six and three-fourths ounces of potassium permanganate, and ten ounces of a forty-per-cent solution of formaldehyde are required for a room ten feet each way, or for one thousand cubic feet. This shows that the ordinary amount of disinfectant used is entirely inadequate to disinfect a room properly. The Bureau of Indian Affairs was very interesting. It showed the great increase of tuberculosis among Indians since they have departed from their former habits of outdoor life. To-day the greatest mortality among any race within the United States is among that people. The death-rate among Indians is far greater than the birth-rate. Consequently, unless something is done to better these conditions, it will be a matter of but a comparatively short time until the Indian race is extinct. The bureau of statistics came next, and was enough to set any sane person thinking seriously. A flash-light was located in the midst of the tables of statistics, which flashed out a blaze of light announcing the death of a person from tuberculosis in the United States every two minutes and thirty-six seconds. This means that twenty-three persons die every hour, five hundred fifty-two every day, and nearly two hundred thousand every year, of this dread disease. The Medical Department of the United States Navy presented some very striking charts showing that every year tuberculosis is destroying five hundred seven out of every one hundred thousand among Indian tribes, four hundred eighty-five among the colored people of the United States, and one hundred seventy-four among the white population. Passing to the left upon reaching the second floor, one entered the Massachusetts exhibit, which was little, if any, behind the New York display either in extent or in perfection of detail. A great deal is being done to better the condition of laboring men in Massachusetts, especially in the way of providing favorable surroundings while at work. Mills and factories where dust has been a menace to health are now providing contrivances for disposing of dust and for furnishing healthful air for their employees. Colorado came next in order, with the largest display of sanatoria and devices for outdoor living of any State. A large relief-map of Colorado, covering one hundred eighty-six square feet was located in the center of the exhibit. The District of Columbia exhibit was next. This had the only strictly tent sanitoria exhibited. Illinois was evidently busy fighting the great white plague at home. A remarkable map of three streets, each one and one-fourth miles long, in Chicago, showed nearly one fourth as many consumptives as there were residences on those streets. The exhibits from Ohio, Maine, and Michigan showed remarkable progress in this fight during recent years. Among the foreign exhibits, Germany clearly took the lead, while Switzerland, France, Sweden, and Belgium followed close in her wake. I propose next week to give some of the interesting and startling statistics furnished by the congress. W. A. R.