The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-05-18
Special Correspondence Of The Tribune

4 MONG the surprises that awaited
~ us on our southern tour none
impressed us so much as the
physical condition of the southern
negro, explained to us by DR.. l.. A.
Scruggs. founder and manager of the
Pickford Colored Sanitarirm of South
ern Pines.
Here L. an astounding sta atemcnt.
nevertheless true, thai one out of every
three persons in this country who die
from consumption Is l. negro Think
of 1t! In one city here in the south
(Charleston) the number of deaths
from consumption Ia ten years was
3.11a. of which Gil were white peopl,
and 2.50S were colored. showing n death
rate Of about one to four Of the latter.
While the negro makes ur only atout
one-eighth of the population of this
great country. vet Of the .0o,000 or
more persons who die annually from
consumption in the United States. the
negro furnishes moro ,han thirty per
cent. Here is the death rate of negroes
as given me by Dr. Scrug2s. and en-
dorsed by the secretary OF the board
of health of charlest IN. :. c.. in Ills
report for 1900
United States. 33 per cent: charles
ton, II per cent: Savannah. IS per
cent: New Orleans. 33 per cent; Nor
folk and Portsmouth. 80 per cent.
Also from statistics Dr. George +. still
estimates that about One-third Of the
deaths in childhood are due to tubercu-
losis in one form or other.
NEGRO MORTALITY.
There is no class of sick people who
truly need and deserve the help ard
sympathy of their more fortunate
n"iGhhors and the public. than con-
sumptive negroes. Sanitary insti.n-
tions have been established in various
parts of the country and have proved
a most g1ltifying source of relief to IL
great many Of this class of human Suf-
ferers, and yet it is a sad fact that for
two reasons at least these humane in
stitutons are Of little or no practical
benefit to the increasing negro con-
Sumptives. as no special provision has
been made for the negroes who thus
suffer in such great numbers.
The long established social customs
and laws positively exclude the negro
from any and all of these institutions
in the south. and those in the. north to
which he might gain admission are 80
far removed from him as TO make the
cost entirely too great. while ut the
same tlIIlt lI!p tillIldtt - l'o stNtit lpi
the average negro who is accustomed
to a mider climate than can be found
in the far north or northwest Many
of these who now go north to labor
sCon return, not only to infect their
neighhors here in the south with con-
sumption. hut themselves soon to die
of that same terrible malady. AMI
many others do not live even to return
alive.
The remedy. therefore. is to be found
only in the establishment of sani-
tarium. separate and distinct for negro
conSumptiveS, at some suitable spot IN
the south and that point is Southern
Pines. n g. selected some four years
ago by DIR. Scruggs. whose institution
has proved 4 wonderful success and
God-scni to all who have been ad-
nitted to it.
\ MODEL CHARITY.
The Pickford santarum is a chari-
table institution for the care and
treatment of cOnSumptive negroes of
both sexes. 1t is the only institution
of the kind in the country. 1t is
Christian institution in the br0adest
and most liberal sense, under no spec
ial religious belief or denomination,
and no politics dominate its manage
ment 1t is a national institution,
open to all parts of this country, for
the unfortunate negro. II was found
ed in 1897 by DR.. l.. a. Scruggs, a. NJ,
NJ. d., former slave, but now Il highly
educated and skillful physician, who
Is we'll equipped by nature and train
Ing among his race, for his position
as secretary and general manager.
DR.. Scruggs was educated by Deacon
Charles j. Pickford. of Lynn, Mass
who afterward contributed largely to
the establishment of the sanitarum.
which bears the name of that promi-
nent Massachusetts family. While
there are many prominent colored
people in the south who have risen
from slavery to places of position and
trust-among them. Booker 4. Wash
ington, already famous-here is good
second in the work of love and mercy,
and devotion to the cause of afflicted
humanity, in the person of Dr.
Scruggs. of Raleigh, N. c., who has
given up his private practice in that
city and is devoting his entire time
to the interests of this sanitarium,
without pay. He has made a study of
the causes and treatment of consump-
tion and it's relations to other dis
of this institution for the last four
years we find siXty-siX per cent. of his
patients. (by arresting the disease),
have either been cured or so improved
as to return year by year to their
former occupation and are self-sup-
porting. Where is there better rec
ord? Show it,
THE CAUSES OF CONSUMPTION
AMONG NEGROES
DR.. Scruggs gives some probable
causes of the very rapid spread of con-
sumption among the negroes, in these
words:
Sudden transition from slavery to
freedom.
From once active life out of doors
to an inactive life indoors.
Want of many substantial comforts
he had while in slavery, and inability
to provide them.
Without care, while In slavery; on
Living set free, had suddenly, with an
undeveloped intellect, to grapple with
a difficult situation.
Living In crowded and unsanitary
tenement houses. Oyer-crowded and
badly ventilated churches and schools.
Ignorance of and disregard for the
laws of hygiene
Mixing or crossing of the races.
Marrying without due regard to
health and family history.
Want of familiarity with the early
history and symptoms of disease.