Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 72, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 February 1909 — FIGHTING TUBERCULOSIS. [ARTICLE]

FIGHTING TUBERCULOSIS.

Modern AVoodmen Society Will Conduct Free Sanatorium for Its Members—A Business as Well as a Fraternal Proposlticyi. At the last meeting of the Executive Council of the Modern Woodmen Society, held at the headquarters of the Society in Rock Island, 111., it was decided to conduct that Society’s sanatorium, located at Colorado Springs, Colo., for the treatment of members afflicted with tuberculosis, free of all charge to members. The Modern Woodmen Society, several months since, acquired 1,380 acres of land within seven miles of Colorado Springs, and has established thereon an up-to-date sanatorium, the tent colony plan being employed. The first colony was opened for the reception of patients oil Jan. 1, 1909. It is equipped to care for 60 patients, to which number admissions will be limited for the present. The tents are octagonal structures, with shingle roofs, canvas sides, hard wood floors on solid cement foundations, heated by a central plant, equipped with all modern conveniences, such as telephones, etc., and each tent will accommodate one patient. An administration building for physicians, nurses, dining hall, baths of all kinds etc., stands in the center of the colony. Dr. J. E. White, formerly of the Nordrach ranch, sanatorium, the medical director in charge, states that only those consumptive members who are curable, or whose lives may be prolonged for a considerable length of time, will be admitted as patients. The wisdom of this rule is apparent. Rigid medical examination as a condition precedent to admission will be insisted upon in every case, and special blank forms have been prepared for this purpose. J A movement is already under way to equip the second colony plant of 60 tents. Each tent or tent house, completely equipped, representes an expense of $250, and a number of local Camps, or lodges, of the Society have decided to donate tents. As there are over 13,000 local Camps of Modern Woodmen, and over 1,000.000 members, it is anticipated that several colonies will soon be equipped in fihis way. The members and local Camps of the v Society have voluntarily contributed to the Sanatorium fund over $70,000, and at the last national convention a permanent tax of ten cents per member per year was voted to support this work. The last official Woodmen reports show that during the years 18911907, inclusive. 14.5 per cent of the total motality, or 5,156 deaths, were charged to tuberculosis, and that 13.9 per cent of the total insurance losses in those years, or $9,065,000, resulted from this cause. As the mortality experience bf the Woodmen Society has been unusually favorable, being but 70 per cent of the expected at all ages under the National Fraternal congress table, a death rate of but 6.29 per 1,000 —or but 4.98 per 1,000, if the experience of the first five membership years be included—the heavier insurance losses inflicted upon other societies experiencing a higher mortality may be conservativesly approximated. If the Woodmen Society, with its exceptionally favorable mortality, finds it to be “good beusiness” to fight consumption In societies, life insurance companies, labor organizations, the national and international church bodies, etc., will find it profitable, from the viewpoint of business or benevolence, or both, to take such action? Each life saved to the Woodman Society, by means of this sanatorium, will, it is stated, represent a saving of sl,7oo—the average amount of the Woodmen policies in force—at an expense for treatment of approximately one-twen-tieth Qf that sum. In the broader sense, each life Baved means the preservation to the family of its head and bread-winner, and to the state of a useful, self-sustaining citizen. • The Democrat for Job work.