Tuberculosis

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jul 1, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 27.

Tuberculosis.—According to Dr. Frank Billings, President of the National Tuberculosis Association, there are one million persons in Illinois who are suffering from tuberculosis in some degree. For eleven months of 1907, 4,076 persons died in Chicago from that disease; and yet it is not an inherited disease. He states that "there are only twenty or thirty cases of authenticated inheritance in medical history. The disease is acquired, but often the soil for its growth is inherited." It is spread to quite an extent by carelessness on the part of those who are afflicted, and by their friends. Dr. Billings says that "we can not get at the exact extent of the disease in this country. In Vienna between 60 and 70 per cent of all the patients in the hospitals are tuberculous." But just recently we have been told by physicians that pneumonia is making even more rapid progress than tuberculosis.

What a comment this is on man's deterioration on account of sin! When created, man had control over all forms of creature life; all were below him, and he was master; and now he succumbs to the very lowest forms of life, so infinitesimal that some are almost indiscernible by the microscope. And these facts of Scripture and science point to the remedy. Man must have life sufficient to overcome all these infinitesimal parasites that would prey upon him. That life is waiting for receptive faith in Jesus Christ.

Almost everything of note is taking on world-size in these days, and is becoming world-potent for good or evil. For instance, the World's Sunday-School Association, of which the Rev. F. B. Meyer, B.A., of London, England, is president, has an army of workers estimated to be equal to the full time of 2,000 field secretaries, without pay, besides its general officers and employees, and the officers of the auxiliary associations. The president visits Africa this year in the interests of the Association, and Australia next year. The Twelfth International Convention at Louisville, Ky., June 18-23, 1908, gives promise of being the largest Sunday-school convention ever held. The general secretary is Marion Lawrence, Hartford Building, Chicago.