The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-03-01
THE WHITE:
PLAGUE z.
State Board Of Health Shows the
Harvested Death Rcapetl
MI. w Consumption.
TO ESTABLISH sANAToRlUM.
Board Recommends Committee
TO ESTABLISH sANAToR'l.UM
Board Recommends a Committee
t. Inquire as to Location
and Cost Thereof.

Tho Governor yesterday transmitted to
the s'cnate a. report prepared ny ":
Pa,llus a.. Irving, of tho state l'oard OF
Health iii a response to a resolution ol
Senator j, &. Bytrs, In regard 70 tine
status In this state OF the disease com.
to report whether or not 1t Is advisable
for tho State to establish hospitals FOR
the caro- aud treatment Of persons affect
ed with tuberculosis"
Tho report OF the state Board OF Health
In response to this request. Is a volur1lh-
Gus typewriter document OF eleven
pages, embracing q printed report com flnI I
piled from tho responses OF over seven
hundred physicians i'll every CITY anu
county OF the state as to the number or
cases Of tuberculosis existing In their
cities or counties to their knowledge.
Tho state Board of Health defines con-
sumption technically and goes somewhat
into tho history Of the disease character
izing 1t as "lhe white plague Of this
country" VT was known and described
BY Hoppocrntes as "the most difficult to
treat and which proves fatal to the great
est number" e.
The disease is described as n conlrnuni-
cable disease, very contagious, but known
for years to the medical profession to pc
5preventable and durable. OF the l.O39,0y4
deaths recorded in the census for 1900
J.
with no report from several Stntcs ana
TERRITORIES. tits estimated there are q
million tuberclllar people In the United
States. The germs of the disease are
inhaled into tho lungs, ingested into the
stomach by tul1erculous meat or mlR
anu also by incubation. The mortality
Is much greater among the negroes than
thu whites. ja5f
Statistics are submitted from foreign
countries as to the tremendous fortallty
from the disease. The status OF consump-
ton in Virginia is reported III q thhie
made up, from responses by physicians
of this State to a request sent out by
the board.G Replies received from 700 81
the $500 physicians in the state give a
total Of 3,9as cases under their obserNa-
ton. Estimating as TO the other l,soo
physicians, tho board figures that there
are at least 1000 cases OF pulmonary tu-
bcrculosis In this State Many of these
may be restored to health by proper en-
vironments and treatment The report
then goes into a brief history Of the san;l-
toriam treatment of consumption, show
Ing that there arc many such institutions
M the various States The snnltorillln
treatment is rapidly extending In foreign
countries. Statistics from these Snn1to-
RUNS show that at least Twenty-Five per
cent. Of patients leave absolutely cured,
and from forty to fifty per cent leave
much improved. In Institutions where only
| patients in the earlier stages OF the
disease are received ,f.as many rs seventy
to seventy-flve per cont. have been cured.
There is no hospital In this State ina {
will receive n consumptivc patient "
/ known to be such. Says the report: w
have a climate in certain sections OF the
State high and dry,peculiarly adapted Tor
persons suffering from consumption.
where they could live in the open air
the entire year." The board expresses
tho opinion that the Sta should at LEAST
look Int the ACCESSIBILITY OF tablishlnS
such an institution for the care OF It's
INDECENT sick. The report closes by re-
| commencing the passage OF an act au-
| thorlzing the Governor to appoint COM
mittee OF three or five members. one OF
whom shall be member OF the state
/! Board Of Health. to consider the ques-
! ton of n state sanatorium for consuHnp-
] tves and who shall report to the neS'
| General Assembly as to the best location
| tho probable cost of erecting and main
| tanning such an institution. together VII
such recommendations as they may deem
proper.