International projectionist (Jan-Dec 1939)

The Ounce of Prevention By KENDALL EMERSON, M.D. MANAGING DIRECTOR, NATIONAL TUBERCULOSIS ASSOCIATION Again it is our pleasure to open our editorial and advertising columns to the National Tuberculosis Association as an aid in its fight against tuberculosis. The efforts of this organization have contributed handsomely to the better health of all mankind, and to no particular group in greater measure than to the projectionist craft. Generous purchases of Xmas Seals will assist in the war of extermination against this dreaded white plague. — Editor. time that the disease is contagious. Not so with tuberculosis. To be sure, it may occur as an acute pneumonia, but such cases are rare in comparison with those of slow onset. Weeks or months may pass during which no symptoms are present, yet all the time the germs are digging in and may have begun to cause destruction of the lung, at which time tubercle bacilli appear in a patient's sputum and infection of others may easily occur. Widespread Cooperation Needed Knowledge of these three facts — that tuberculosis is an infectious disease; that you must isolate infectious diseases; that all diseases are less serious if discovered and treated early — is the common property AW 7 HAT are the simple, basic facts last year less than 70,000 deaths. De tt about tuberculosis that all people spite this increase in beds we still feel imust know to protect themselves, and the number is too low. At least two especially their children, from its hid beds per each annual death are needed of all intelligent people. It is the spread den menace? Among such facts the and their distribution must be greatly of this knowledge among all classes of the following three are of prime signifi improved over the situation existing at population that has enabled the public cance: present because in some localities there he^lth service> ,the d^013, and the s^a 1. Tuberculosis is caused, by a germ are no beds at all XcuL^ro^hSy otf th/p'L tu ■and is, therefore, an infectious disease. But isolation of the discovered case century. One of the most difficult hurdles 2. You must keep people with in is not enough. By detecting a person in the fight has been jumped. Today, infectious disease away from other with tuberculosis in its very early stead of a small number of professionally people. stages and isolating him in a hospital trained people working alone, the whole 3. People recover from any disease where he will receive expert care we body of citizens is becoming aroused. More more quickly if it is discovered early give him practically an 80% chance and given proper treatment. for satisfactory recovery. The case dis In the case of tuberculosis there is covered and hospitalized late has little no drug, serum or vaccine which has better than a 20% or 25% chance of any noticeable curative or preventive returning to approximately normal life, ^value. This complicates our program, Again we must remember, too, the and more they are participating in the fight. When we get a genuinely united front against our diminuitive, but most persistent enemy, his fate is sealed. Never before has the opportunity been placed in the hands of man to rid himself of a plague which has claimed the but it does not render those objectives lurking danger of infecting others that lives of millions. If we do not strike now Room celling A< (5^£ zz 2 Z s;/ssJ(///s//s;//s impossible. We have worked out a sys an undiscovered case presents, tern by which they can be attained pro The fly in the oinment of tuberculosis -vided the doctors, the nurses and the control is the peculiar behavior of the public health officials can receive ade disease when once it has established itself » *■ x 4.u uv * in a victims lungs. In the case of most xjuate cooperation from the public at infectious diseasess one becomes visibly m ^ar&e in a very short period of time. He is put Tuberculosis is caused by a well to bed, perhaps hospitalized, and others known germ and is therefore "catch wisely avoid contact with him during the ing" or infectious, exactly as are — diptheria, scarlet fever, measles and smallpox. It is not hereditary, as is sometimes supposed, although it may be that a family susceptibility may be handed down. At all events if there has been a good deal of tuberculosis among your ancestors or if it exists in your immediate family, it is well for you to exercise unusual precautions and have frequent check-ups to assure yourself of freedom from active infection. We will not have tuberculosis if no germs of the disease ever get into our bodies. This can only be avoided by keeping well away from those who have the disease. The surest way to bring this about is by exactly the process we employ in other infectious diseases, isolation of the patient in a hospital where contact with friends and neighbors is avoided and where his cure is most likely to be assured. • Wide Gains Scored This principle of isolation was early recognized as the basis of a tuberculosis control program. When the National Tuberculosis Association was formed in 1904 for the study and prevention of tuberculosis there were about six thousand beds for the care of tuberculous cases in the country. There were nearly two hundred thousand deaths annually. Today there are 100,000 beds for the tuberculous and Projection Periscope Setup the opportunity may pass. This is not an appeal to experts. They are already on the alert and their devotion will not flag. It is a direct appeal to the people of this country to see the job through. The verdict in the case of man against tuberculosis is in the hands of the public. Buy Xmas Seals Novel 'Periscope' Setup by Altec Permits Clear Screen View Through Ports only 30 Inches off Floor STRUCTURAL peculiarities make than that existing in the Masonic Theafor some strange setups for motion tre in New Bern, N. C. With the expicture projection, but none is stranger ception of three years during the Civil War, this theatre has been in continu ProjecUonlet view \ f;rl»=°Pe permit, vie,; ,___ I of screen at standing-^ beight--aee section A.-A for details screen thru mirror here' ' ■ ^ \ JE □ Observation and proj. I ports at same level ^Auditorium oelling t due to auditorium .celling position in relation t6 room "Periscope" consists of two TT* mirrors, one at port, one at level of projectioniata eye, angled for best optical effect . and enclosed in metal chute^f V _^w-F*th of Light SECTION /WV Auditorium ceiling j£L Zi, V Oba. port ous operation since 1812, according to its manager, O. A. Kafer, and the architecture, while some pumpkins at the time, leaves something to be desired as a motion picture theatre in 1939. The theatre auditorium is part of the old Masonic Hall and rooms, the building having been erected about the year 1800. Present Masonic rooms are above the theatre, and their retention necessitated building the projection room on the outside of the structure. The observation port holes are only 30 inches above the floor, and heretofore the projectionists have had to bend away over in order to view the screen. This procedure seemed like a lot of unnecessary trouble to M. F. Harrod, Altec service inspector, and he proceeded to do something about it. He designed a sort of periscope, consisting of a series of mirrors (see accompanying drawing) which permits a full 20 INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST