The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-07-30

THE TUBERCULOSIS EVIL,
Important Facts for Montgomerians to
Consider.


Editor The Advertiser:
wish to call the attention of the
public to the list of deaths and causes
thereof, which is prepared by the Clty
Sanitary Department and published In
The Advertiser weekly More espe-
cially 90 l direct the attention to the
death rate among the negroes. a
casual glance will reveal the fact that
the mortality among the negroes
caused by tuberculosis Is something
terrible Out of seventeen deaths
among the negroes, reported in one
week, there were twelve attributed to
consumption. On another occasion
seven out of eleven deaths were due to
this disease. Again nine out of four
teen deaths occurred from tuberculosis.
These instances may be exceptional. but
perusal of the mortality tables of
Montgomery will show tat the per
centage of the deaths among the
negroes, arising from tuberculosis will
average from 60 to 20 per cent all the
year round.
That this death rate from such a
dread disease presents a grave problem
to the white population. almost every
one will admit, but the average Mont
gOmerY citizen, who has not thought
seriously over the matter, does not
fully realize the danger confronting his
family. He is aware OF the danger
of contagion because OF the business
relations he may have with the negro:
nues and in the stores. and last. but
not least, the negro servants in his
home. The danger of contracting the
disease from these sources, he appre-
ciates. but accepts the situation philo-
sophically because there j. no practical
means of avoiding the relation. How
ever the most imminent and terrify-
ing danger, he overlooks, viz, the
family wash woman.
Before the Civil War. when the negro
was well clothed, well housed and
worked in the open air, consumption
was rarely known to attack the negro.
But with the changes succeeding the
war, the negro became more suscepti-
bic to the disease. until the present
time finds consumption epidemic among
the colored race. Poorly clad, dissipa- =
tion and confinement in the cities have
made the negro a favorite field FOR con-
sumption TO commit It's ravages.
In the South the negro woman does
practically all of the washing for the
whites. In Montgomery we lind no
supervision of this work by the city
authorities. AS a result frequently
the lives of an entire family are en-
dangered because of the consumption
germs that are rampant in the house
hold of the negro washwoman on
one occasion, gentleman or Montgom-
cry determined to investigate the con-
ditions prevailing at the house or ms
washwoman. He was horrihed 10
learn that his wash woman occupied
one small room. which she divided with
her family of four. Her daughter was
in bed suffering with consumption OF
the bowels. having been i'll for weeks
Because of the lack of room, the wash
woman kept the clothing of the gentle
mans family under this bed. Another
instance of like character happened
where Il gentleman Of this city was
horror stricken to learn that the hus-
band of his family wash woman had
been suffering with consumption for
Notwithstanding hemmorhages. Upon
investigating. he found that the wash
woman had been accustomed to wash
some sheets and towels. on Monday,
the day she received the washing from
the gentleman's family. and use them
far her husbands benefit all during the
rSeek. On Friday she would hurriedly
gSwash these sheets and towels, and