The Constant Invader, X-ray Surveys, Program No. 3

Fur workers line up to be x-rayed by a machine, in New York, on Oct. 22, 1945, which is capable of taking 200 pictures an hour.

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This is the story of a constant invader. We do not live alone in this life if you think you are an isolationist in the community in which you live you can deceive yourself with tragic results since we live together for the good of all we must act together against the dangers that threaten any one of us here is a tale to answer your question why I told to you now by the celebrated star Mr Henry Fonda. It didn't look like there was going to be any problem to people who understood what it was all about it looked very reasonable. Our doctors tell us that tuberculosis spreads from one person to another but you can have the disease for many months without even feeling sick they tell us to get a chest X. ray will reveal whether you have this disease if you have it finding it early means a quicker cure you stop spreading your germs to others and if you haven't got it you got instead a lot of peace of mind the obvious answer would be to get a whole town together for instance and get everyone over fifteen years old an X. ray it's being done all the time the tuberculosis Association and the health department of the town of boat occupation fifty thousand decided it ought to be done there know they need their plans carefully presented in the town fathers an actress a great call on the mayor for an answer and this is what happened. Now let me assure you that the council looked very favorably upon your plans ladies and gentlemen but they didn't feel that the expenditure you proposed for this X. ray campaign was justified at this time but Mr Mayor they know that the association is prepared to pay half the expense of the campaign from its Christmas Eagle fund certainly but the park but still the cost to the town would be considerable The enthusiasm of the Association of which he was. President Mr Parks is commendable we must step out tuberculosis but I doubt that we have enough tuberculosis in Bolton to justify how do we know we have no tuberculosis in a boat and there are two members of my church who were in the state sanatorium at this very moment and naturally there are always a few cases reverend may not but I don't think even no health office a doctor took can claim his demand any tuberculosis is too much as you know in spite of my constant efforts my health department has no facilities for any X. ray work at all but for three years now the state has sent an immobile X. ray unit to survey two of our leading industries each year they have found more cases than the year before these people are getting their TB from somewhere in this town now we've got to find this reservoir of infection and a survey of the entire town is the only answer and no I'm sure it's not as serious as you indicate I personally don't know of anyone who has tuberculosis in voting but most Americans sorry that town cannot assist you in such a project at the present time. That Sunday new church after his term the final prayer documented count of congregation for a few words. You see the boat tuberculosis Association had decided on a plan to prove to the town officials that the people wanted an X. ray three by Dr management delegated to fire the opening gun. So you see that even the real concern of our able health after Dr Tucker has not been sufficient to persuade the elected officials to give our tuberculosis Association's support in this plan our purchase of Christmassy use has made it possible for every one of us to have a chest X. ray at very little cost to the town why this disease may be spreading from one of us to the other without our knowledge a chest X. ray can show us where we stand. I urge everyone of you to write a personal letter to Alameda urging the adoption of this time for your third or information the oceans will distribute literature at the portal if you lean the word. Very good Germans morning documented. Let me help you with your old thank you Rev thank you but I I may ask you to take the evening service I was not a documented here to downsize suddenly feeling very tired of all the work doctor you'll be all right in a moment rattled I have heard it said that young medical students become so involved sometimes in their studies that they often imagine they themselves are afflicted with the disease they read about I wonder if such a thing could be happening to me what he means or have you had a chest X. ray recently Why no sir neither have I. I think if only in the interests of practicing what I preach I should see my doctor tomorrow and set my mind to dress. Her. So Dr Maynard had his X. ray a week later when he got a telephone call from his doctor to come and see him in his office Dr Maynard felt instinctively that it was more than imagination which had taken him for that X. ray and he was prepared for the words he heard. By. The new Dr Leonard I believe you have tuberculosis of the left lung a moderately advanced case it's very apparent from your X. rays a while make more tests to confirm it I knew it I knew it you knew it documented better some things in life which the pass under standing Dr high I do not know but somehow I was short I had to but get those. Sent home to bed until he could be gotten into the sanatorium Dr manere that afternoon was called upon by Dr Tucker and I Health Officer of Bolton. So he will have learned my misfortune Dr Tucker and it's incredible documented isn't there any chance that Dr Carson could be wrong I don't Mr Elliot but you're going to get well documented We'll get you into the sanatorium right about my friends my position is my family I may have on willingly given my germs to hundreds of people in Bolton you are known and loved in this town as probably no other man it's terrible that you had to be the example of what we've feared when you don't like my name anything I write summons for my baby that will help that will speak for me I will doctor only do something to find out if I've spread my disease to any one else I won't be able to sleep and they want to prove while they'll have it and the TB Association will give a told them my own oil. Board members this is our chance to demonstrate. The need we sought to fill the health department is running down every contact from a list supplied by Dr manere with only limited funds in his department Dr Tucker asked the subsidy from this association to finance X. rays all those in favor of his motion as presented will signify by saying I. Oppose motion carried to Tucker we're behind you in this our board will assist you in every way. Dr TUCKER You asked me to believe that because one man involved and is found to have tuberculosis we're justified in giving X. rays to the entire community has to make here is a list of documented contacts he's lived in this town a long time but there are hundreds of names on this list these are people who have been flooding me with mail on this thing and oddly a lot of them on but there are a lot of citizens who have never even met Dr Maynard who can understand the danger we've allowed to go around them now wait a minute Dr Tucker you've been reading the association's newspaper story not only that I've supplied them with some of the information you need to think as health officer you have the right to enter into a partisan argument there is no argument Those are facts we have to buy contested every one of these contacts nearly eighty percent of them have positive reactions which means that they have TB germs within them but it doesn't mean they have tuberculosis where X. raying the reactors now and when we find those that have TB I'll be laying on your desk another list of they are contacts with the results of their tests and we'll X. ray those that are positive and find you can't intimidate me Dr TUCKER I don't believe such a thing is going to happen. A case is a bucket also south of Doc the main its original contacts Mr May at. The all recognize any of the names Dr TUCKER You can't go on with this nonsense and Mr Parks you've got to stop these articles in the paper and ice. Spend all my time talking to people on the telephone this is my job Mister my app and I'm only grateful I've got a TB association that makes it possible for me to know what the way it should be done and will support Dr TUCKER Mayer until the counseling your so come to the conclusion that we've reached that there is T.V. in both of em but it's up to us to crack it down with a chest X. ray for every citizen. Dr Tucker what's the meaning of this what is an ad rates clock my secretary just called me and said she wouldn't be in the office this morning when I asked her why she burst into tears and told me to talk to you what did she mean Greystock has to back you know says Mr MY what we can from time diagnosis like yesterday afternoon my own secretary given us a list of our close contacts here it is my. My name's at the top Naturally Mr Mayor there are nineteen cases of TB and vote on this morning and we haven't found them all yet but if Grace Park has TB What about me maybe we'll skip the debacle and test with you Mr Mayor Dr Tucker I want an X. ray and I want it right now. Mr Potts Mr Elliott Dr TUCKER I I called you gentlemen here to tell you that I changed my mind or rather to admit that you've been able to change it for me I'm going to present your plan to the town council again tonight and I think I can assure you it will pass a law it's wonderful Mr Mayor the association is ready to go to action the minute you give the word this is going to do more good for Dr Maynard than anything I can think of I'm going to take the word to him at the sanatorium myself the minute we're shore when I think of the people TB has touched in this town already and I shudder at what might have happened do you save me from that. Gentlemen you can count on me from this moment I am going to help you get this disease under control involved and keep it there from now on. Two days later Dr Tucker and mouth alley and visit the doctor Maynard in the sanatorium to get in the good news it's playing the doctor talk a splendid I suppose it is better late than never but this is something we should have insisted on long ago and I feel greatly responsible and you shouldn't blame yourself documented and all and remember sir someone else had to give you the disease first yes people do seem to understand and I've received letters from even those who will suffer the most but Dr TUCKER I couldn't no way plead ignorance I always labored under the delusion that older souls like myself did not contract a bucket of says well that's a fallacy that too many people believe Dr anyone can get to by close is no wages save in older people particularly the disease is often more difficult to discover because the symptoms may be confused with indications of age they mean along with our X. ray campaign we must give everyone in Boston a federal knowledge of tuberculosis knowledge might have saved me and many others from others happened we will documented when I should sleep better now if this had to happen I'm glad it is myself who has to bear the burden of the original blow perhaps I was meant to be an instrument of God's will. That it seem reasonable to you now it adds up like this Birkin won't because the communicable disease and those who get it rarely seen second one but may spread their germs to others for months before they even feel you know but science has given us a powerful weapon X. range with which to search out this disease in its early stages before it can spread when it. Victims had their best chance of being cured if we do not use this weapon we are guilty of the deadliest kind of neglect that is why today the X. raying of large groups even of whole cities and towns is being practiced across the nation it's up to you through your tuberculosis Association and health department to promote X. ray campaigns in your community such tactics a lot best defense against a constant invading. Iraq glare of. The constant invader as narrated by Henry Fonda written and directed by Hugh change with musical direction by Ben Ludlow presented by order of our collage of association it is intended to show you the dangers of I believe that killed nearly fifty thousand each year and to show you the job you have to do in preventing this waste of human life.