AND ITS DANGERS. 63 



all causes, 8,000 were from consumption. 



All over the world the story is much the 

 same enormous losses from a well defined 

 clearly understood preventable disease. Some 

 of the totals are certainly impressive. 



It is estimated that in the year 1907 not 

 less than 190,000 deaths occurred in the United 

 States from some form of tuberculosis. 



Of all the classified causes of death, tuber- 

 culosis is the most important. In the mortality 

 statistics of the United States Census Bureau 

 for 1907 will be found a sinister summary of 

 deaths from 1901 to 1905. In a total of 

 2,648,149 deaths, there are 314,173, which is 

 11.9 per cent, due to tuberculosis. 



These are the bald relentless records of the 

 deaths. But who shall adequately picture, or 

 even remotely conceive, the shattered ambi- 

 tions, the long weary hours of distress and 

 suffering and struggle, the slow weeks and 

 months, lighted fitfully now and then by gleams 

 of fictitious hope, which lead to the last long 

 release. And what shall be said of the deso- 

 lated homes and scattered families, and pov- 



