[michigan tuberculosis association: theodore werle, executive secretary, presents] [peter borik: the story of the tragedy hebrought his family] [scenario: wm kulsea, narrator: bob clayton, donald o. buell: director of dramatics, michigan state college.] [cast: agnes... june merz, clara... francesjoyner, mrs. borik... mary philips, john...joe davidson] [dedicated to the fight against tuberculosis] [narrator:] the story of agnes and clara borikand their family could happen in your town, right next door to you...it could happen tothe rich man and to the poor man.
the office worker or the farmer, a white manor a negro. it could happen to the young, and it could happen to the aged. it couldhappen to anyone. it is the story of a willful man who refusedto believe the truth. because he stubbornly and perversely rejected the truth, he broughttragedy to those closest to him. he turned a deaf ear to experienced men ofmedicine who sought to help him in his fight against tuberculosis. instead, he chose to rely on the advice ofcharlatans and quacks. it is the story of peter borik and the heartaches he broughthis daughters, agnes and
clara. the story opens on a tender note, for claraand johnny carson, a young farmer who manages the borik farm in his spare time, are in love.they hope to be married soon. johnny is her childhood sweetheart. his regular job, before he took over operationof the borik farm, was driving a milk truck for a large dairy company nearby. he stilldoes this when he is able. now however, peter borik is bedridden mostof the time, and unable to work. johnny and clara, unaware of what the future holds forthem, face life happily,
secure in their love. hardworking mrs. borik, peter's wife, livesfor her children alone. a kind, yielding woman, she is resigned to a life of drudgery, andever-constant fear that clara and agnes, and perhaps johnny,might fall victim to the disease that peter borik carries. it's time for lunch, and johnny has been invitedto eat with the family. peter cannot leave his bed. he will not go to a sanatorium. hedoes not believe tuberculosis is catching. he believes he can get well by staying inbed. he wants to be near his neighbors so
they can drop in and see him. he likes mrs.borik's cooking. he wants to be home so he can call his wifeor his daughters at any time of the day or night. the father's absence at meal time isevident. but his influence, both physical and spiritual, isfelt by the entire family every time they eat. the door beyond the kitchen stove leads tohis room. from that room he can hear the familiar voices of his family. at one time he was ina sanatorium. he was not a cooperative patient. he felt there were too many restrictions.that he did not feel sick. he left against
medical advice. and since doctors cannot forcepatients to remain in a sanatorium, he could not be stopped. when he left the sanatorium, he left behindthe proper medical care, professional nursing attention, and the rest routine which is soessential to the tuberculosis patient. through his ignorance,he left behind all hope, and brought home a disease which was to bring immeasurablesorrow to his family. peter's presence in the boriks' householdhas not changed the homemaking routine, although it should have, to ensure protection for thefamily. dishes used to serve his food are mixed withthose used by the rest of the family. his
bed linen goes in with the family laundry.the handkerchiefs he uses contain sputum, which is contaminated withtuberculosis germs. the germs spread from person-to-person andcause tuberculosis. peter refuses to believe this simple fact. like measles, chicken poxor scarlet fever, tuberculosis is contagious. except for peter borik, the borik family lookshealthy. they feel well. they don't think they can catch peter's disease. they don'tknow a person may have tuberculosis for three years and never haveany symptoms. in recent weeks, peter borik's increasinglybad condition has intensified his stubborn
streak. he talks to his family only in irritablecommands. his raucous coughing has increased. the room behind the kitchen stove has becomea self-imposed cell, from which he bars time-tried methods of tuberculosis cure. his failingcondition is reflected in his lack of appetite. each day he leaves more and more food untouchedon the plate, which mrs. borik serves him three times a day. but tuberculosis workers know that peter borikleft the sanatorium against the advice of physicians. they have been watching his caseever since he acted
against the advice of specialists in the fieldof tuberculosis cure and prevention. now they hope to convince him to return tothe sanatorium. ever alert for cases such as these, tuberculosis workers are certainthat peter borik will return in order to protect his wife and daughters. courteous and professional, the tuberculosisworker visits the borik household. this job requires tact, for she does not want to frightenpeter borik back into the sanatorium. she must convince him and mrs. borik thathe is spreading tuberculosis to his family and friends. that he'll be able to receivevisitors frequently in the
sanatorium. but mrs. borik will have none of this. sheis too familiar with the wrath of her husband and with his ideas of sanatoriums. mrs. borik keeps the visit of the tuberculosisworker a secret, both from peter borik and from her children. that's why johnny and clara go ahead withplans to get married. each new day brings to them new happiness as they plan for thefuture. they are ignorant of the cloak of diseasethat is enveloping the borik household and their lives. for how long can the human bodystand up under the strain
of bombardment of the tuberculosis germs? these two youths, vigorous and gay, appearto be happy and healthy as they await the day of their marriage. but are they healthy?the tuberculosis germ has used them for targets. back in the borik household, they have beenexposed for months to the germs discharged by peter borik. is one or both to be a victim?perhaps they had come in contact with tuberculosis by touching anarticle contaminated by peter borik. in the spring, johnny and clara are married.peter borik is too ill to attend the church ceremony, but unknown to all, the mark ofhis willfulness is with
them. it is a threat to their happiness that couldhave been avoided if peter had gone to the sanatorium some time before. in fact, if peterhad listened to sound medical advice, or if his wife had acted uponthe suggestion of the tuberculosis worker, he might have been cured by the time the weddingtook place. as johnny takes clara for his wife, and promisesto protect her in sickness and in health, little does he realize that she had lived with opentuberculous in the household. whether or not she has escapedits attack remains to be seen. their friends are equally ignorant of whatis going on in the borik household. they can
see only the beautiful bride, and the dashing,handsome groom. two healthy, vigorous young people who are nowman and wife. back at the borik household, usually somberand quiet, the boriks and their guests gather for a wedding festivity. everyone has visitedand paid his respects to peter borik in his sick room [backgroundcomments]. preparations are made to have the bride cutthe wedding cake. little does the happy couple suspect thatthis ceremony is the backdrop for the tragedy that is to follow. but johnny and clara are unaware of the danger,as they take over the operation of the borik
farm where they now live. his life with clarais a happy one. one day, more than a year after their marriage,johnny comes home from the fields to find that clara is not feeling well. he questionsher and finds she is suffering from headaches, becomes fatiguedeasily and is running a slight fever. clara then tells him she is going to havea baby. and johnny attributes the illness to the coming child. but as time goes on, johnny wonders, couldit be that in some mysterious manner, peter's disease might be causing clara's illness? clara's symptoms grow more evident daily.she tires easily. the fresh farm foods cannot
tempt her appetite. johnny has made a decision. he is no longersatisfied with peter's advice that clara eat lots of food and stay out in the fresh air. johnny wants clara to go to a competent doctor.he fears for her life and that of their child. clara has just had an x-ray of her lungs,and a physical examination for tuberculosis at the sanatorium. the x-ray film seen in the viewer revealsshe has fallen victim to the disease. the sanatorium doctor explains that everyone shouldhave a chest x-ray each year.
he tells mrs. borik that tuberculosis is notinherited and it is not caused by weak lungs. he points out that it's spread by germs fromone person to another and it runs 15 times higher in families wherethere is a history of tuberculosis. the doctor ponders. he wonders where claracould have contracted tuberculosis. he tells mrs. borik that one does not haveto look sick to be sick with tuberculosis. the doctor also points out that the earliertuberculosis is detected, the easier the disease is to cure. the body must build up a resistance to thegerm. clara has far advanced tuberculosis. if she'd only come to a doctor earlier...
if she'd only been checked periodically fortuberculosis...how, he asked mrs. borik, could clara have caught tuberculosis? mrs. borik knows now. sadly she recites thestory of peter for the first time. peter, her husband, was in a sanatorium for treatment. but peter didn't like the sanatorium. he didn'tfeel sick. he didn't realize that he should be willing to remain hospitalized so thathis family would be protected against the disease. he didn't believe what the doctors told him.one night, peter left the sanatorium. peter borik left the sanatorium against medicaladvice.
the full impact of peter's willfulness; hispersistent rejection of the truth, has come home. johnny wants clara to go to the sanatorium. he feels that both her life and the life oftheir child might be saved. he knows if she'd gone earlier, she would not have to stay solong in the sanatorium. but peter has taught his lesson well. clara too rejects sanatorium care. she willtake her chances of getting well at home. her father had told her that once you enterthe sanatorium, you would surely die. poor clara. she believes this wrong advice.what better attention could she get in a sanatorium?
she asks herself and her husband. but she has no way of telling if she is gettingbetter or worse. at the sanatorium she would be x-rayed regularly. sputum tests would be taken. surgery wouldbe recommended if necessary. the progress of her disease would be noted regularly. johnny begs clara again to go to a sanatorium.complicated by the fact that she is expecting a baby, tuberculosis works quickly in clara.she loses ground rapidly. tuberculosis takes its toll. and with clara'sdeath, another life is taken. the life of
her unborn child. clara has paid with her life. johnny is notvery expressive, but he misses clara terribly. they had had so little time together. noneof their plans, the plans of youth, had come to fruition. he remembers her vivacity. her winsome smile.her dark curls. and her tender touch. he realizes that all this is lost to him foreverbecause of a disease which need not have happened if it had not been for one man's willfulness. and in remembering clara and her youth, hethinks of agnes, who has gone to work in a factory. will the pattern of tragedy be repeatedin lively agnes, who
has such a desire to live? johnny has talked to the tuberculosis worker.she has urged johnny to prevail upon agnes to have a chest x-ray. she pointed out to johnny that tuberculosistakes its greatest toll among young people from 15 to 35 years of age. johnny tells agnesthis. he asks her to have an x-ray. after all, he reasons, if you find out thatyou haven't caught tuberculosis from your father or clara, you have nothing to worryabout. if you do find out you have tuberculosis,you can go to the sanatorium before your case
becomes hopeless. he tells her that many peoplehave the tuberculosis germ in their bodies. as long as the resistance is kept up, thegerm remains inactive. he tells agnes she has been working hard at her factory job,that the germ may have gotten a foothold in her body. he reasons with her. but agnes can't be reasonedwith. she has a streak of her father's willfulness in her. it is fate, she decides. if my father was sick with tuberculosis, andmy sister died from it, i will too. it's just a matter of time and i might as well enjoylife.
secretly, agnes feels that she too might havethe disease. many thousands of tuberculous sick are amongus. everything they touch, cough, or spit on is infected with the tuberculosis germ. they're a constant source of danger to thepeople who come in contact with them. but they go blithely on their way, either unawarethat they have the disease, or unwilling to do anything aboutit. agnes is afraid. she does not want to knowthe truth. but the truth cannot be denied and shut outforever. it must come out. and agnes, despite her stubbornness, cannot refuse to acknowledgethat she is sick.
too sick to work efficiently. many industries have case-finding programs.industry wants to protect its workers against tuberculosis. an x-ray is painless and takes only a moment. x-ray is used to find tuberculosis among apparentlyhealthy people as well as among persons who have had contact with a tuberculosis patient. they find her disease in the factory x-ray.and, as is true in industry, when tuberculosis is found, she is required to leave her work. agnes has tuberculosis. no longer does mrs.borik need to be convinced. tuberculosis killed
one daughter, and she is determined to saveagnes. mrs. borik will defy peter at any cost. knowingthat his ignorance has caused this tragedy, she is going to have a chest x-ray herself.johnny will have one too. agnes has finally reconciled to going to thesanatorium. she sees that her father is not getting any better at home, and that claracame home only to die. she realizes that if she gives up six monthsof time now to sanatorium treatment, she may well save her life. happily, agnes' disease has been caught early.she will be able to recover from tuberculosis,
and lead a happy, normal life. she now realizes tuberculosis can be cured.it is not a death sentence. mrs. borik knows, and johnny knows, that bygoing to the sanatorium early, agnes' chances for recovery are enhanced. johnny and mrs. borik return to their houseof sorrow, determined that there shall be no more needless suffering and death. theyhave been examined, and they happily are not victims of peter's disease. it will not be a simple matter to return peterto a sanatorium, but their minds are made up. they know he is wrong in staying home.he must go back to the
tuberculosis hospital. last year, more than 50,000 american men,women and children died in our country, because they made the wrong decisions when they stillcould have been saved. don't let the tragedy of the borik familyrepeat in your home! remember, no home is safe until all homes are safe. [music] [the end, a capital film production.]
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar