Evening journal., 1904-12-06
OF
TUBERCULOSIS
IS ALARMING c
DR.. John ]. Black Reads In
teresting Paper Before
Agricultural Conference
over 5000 CASES IN DELAWARE

alarming extent 10 Wnlcn tne disease
has grown in the State and urges the
establishment Of a State sanitarium as
a proper remedy to check the advance
of the white plague.
The text OF DR.. Blacks address is
as follows:
1 am greatly in your debt for the
kind invitation you have given me TO
address you today on a question OF so
great importance to the comfort and
welfare of the human race as is that Of
tuberculosis, the great burning question
that confronts not only sanitarians, but
all persons connected with government.
including municipal, State and nation
al. and every man, woman and child
who walks the earth.
All should join in this crusade, the
State, the church, the learned profess
sions and the people at large. In this
country thousands upon thousands die
annually from tuberculosis, and gentle
men, what a horror confronts us when
nearly all Of these deaths are prevent
able. To say there are today in Della
ware 5000 cases Of tuberculosis is, / am
sure, to underestimate the number
DR.. Bowditch, of Boston, a high author
ity, says that there are at present in
Massachusetts,, with a population of
about 100000 souls, 200, 900 case Of con-
sumption. Here there are many con-
gested centres and probably the per-
centage is greater than in Delaware,
where population is more widely dis
tributed. / am not an alarmist, but
merely state the situation and 1t re-
mains for the people to grasp and
tackle the condition and apply the rem
edy now in our hands. l. with others,
made great efforts at the last meeting
Of our Legislature, to inaugurate such
legislation as would relieve this terrible
state Of affairs. 1 am sorry to say II
failed. failed only by one vote in the
Senate. The fight was nearly won-a
two-thirds vote was necessary in each
House, and the lack Of one vote only
struck the balance between success and
failure. Oh, how my heart has ached
for many an unfortunate sufferer who
has applied for that relief could not
afford during the last two years, and
many others I know Of have spoken tc
me Of just such cases they could moi
help for want Of means to succor them
the means the State of Delaware should
have afforded.
Many of those who could have beer
saved have perished-perished for tn,
want Of help their fellow citizens shoulC
have afforded them. How many arr
now suffering from the fell destroyer
caused by contagion those now gon
have scattered, God alone knows. Shal
we allow this holocaust to continue
How long shall we continue to sit wit
folded hands and see this great whit
plague cut down many among ou
friends. our families and our neighbors
the fairest and brightest of the race
and yet raise no hand to save them
Gentlemen, this is not a question of dol
lars and cents; it is a question OF hu
manity-a question of the salvation o
mankind. Ask the politician. His onl,
reply is: 1--WE can't spare the money
Shame on such a thought. 1t is not ;
matter Of money; It Is a matter of alb
solute necessity to relieve the horror o
a situation few have yet stopped 4
consider; a situation If not taken il
hand is sooner or later destined to un
dermine the human race and make de
fectives and pygmies Of us all.
Suppose the State should tax eacl
man, woman and child one dollar eacl
per year to fight this great plague wha
would such an insignificant sun
amount to, thus distributed, when thei
own lives, the lives Of many of thei
dear ones, are at stake? No such sun
is required. Give us one-sixth of thi
amount and in time we will see tuber
cular diseases a thing OF the past, an
happiness and thrift hold sway wher
now there is so much Of darkness an
misery overwhelming our people
Let US take a cold-blooded pecuniar
view Of the situation-the view Of tn
political economist. In 1891 there wer
S19 deaths reported in Delaware fror
consumption. There were probabl
many more for our vital statistics
this State are far from reliable-sa
there were only 319 deaths. Putting tn
value to the State of each adult citi
zen as S5000-here was a money loss
these deaths to the commonwealth {
S1,595, 900. Say a proper expenditure q
money would have saved half of thes
unfortunates, here We have s797, so
saved. What expenditure of money o
the part OF the State would hav
brought this about? Say $4,000. Sc
what cold figures show on the economi
side. How can any good citizen hes
lAeAAGs LlOM ktAAA ally CONSCIENTIOUS Att
islator refuse this help on the part {
the State? A terrible situation cor
, fronts him in this matter when the II
sponsibility comes to him, as 1t wi
come to him in few short weeks. L,
him search his heart, let him deal wit
his conscience when alone with h
God and there will only be one answer
the march Of this great white plagr
, must be stayed, this destroyer of lii
> and happiness must be chained, n
! State must act-God help the peopl
Only in recent years has science she
its light on the cause of tuberculosis
both man and the lower animals.
In 1882 Robert Koch, the great &c
r man, discovered its cause to be a m
GRO organism, known as the tuberc
/ bacillus. 1t is of the vegetble kim
dom, but so close to the animal KIM
dom as to be almost of l.. There m5
be some difference in form between Il
tubercle bacillus OF man and lhat OF Il
lower animals, but it is coming mo
and more to be the opinion of sciel
lists that either may cause the troub
in man and the lower animals. 10
yet doubts this power of the animal
inoculate man, or man the animal, Y
tit say practically scientists rather o
III pose Koch's idea as not proven. 1t
we'll to take the view anyhow that eal
are equally dangerous to each othe
for the lower animals are very MAJ
Of them tuberculous, and most of the
we know are consumed by man as foo
and the milk of such in its raw sta
III appears to be especially dangerous