The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-11-01

spmptives Just as 1t now does It's In
sanc patients. BY 80 doing IL viii
contribute greatly to the welfare and
happiness az IFS people. Isolation 9!
tubcrcular patients is prime factor
In The fight OF prevention From {
financial standpoint 1t is far easier Il
prevent 100 cases than Il lis to cure ten
and. as this is n contagious disease, $50
lation Ia the first step toward success
To keep 1t from being communicated
from one person to another.
some Practical Talks.
Dr. Levy, Secretary r. A. Irving. of
tile State Board c. Health, and DR..
Fulton, Of Maryland. discussed the
question briefly. DR.. Fulton pointing
outitlie value of systematic work, and
the Importance of arousing public seti-
tiinent. DR.. irving agreed with Or.
Grandy as to the extent and spread
of consumption in Virginia. Our
State" he said. lis doing nothing 20
meet the problem or TO alleviate the
suffering OF 5000 thousand patients.
Some may exist for six months, some
may struggle on for year. then die.
and meanwhile the, number increases
Steadily
Dr. Levy's talk was sound and prac-
teal dealing mainly with the need
OF education and charity. the two
combined beir.. the best means of wip-
inE out a scourge. a
S. r. Waddill. of Henrico. who was
elected president to succeed DR.. Will
liam It. DrewryI of Petersburg, Is ex-
pected TO lead the fight in the Legis-
lature for the stricken army.
The Situation in Virginia.
On the subject. THE Tuberculosis ;situa-
ton in Virginia" DR.. Charles r. Grands,
chairman. submitted the following:
LAS chnlrniun of the committee on the
tule4culous l am expected to make n re-
port on the .Tuberculosis Situation in Nir-
e.ria' but / find the task much more diff
cut Than one would Imagine for the reason
that a record OF vital satisfies Is only kept
10 the cities. ard some of these have failed
to send me the reports asked for Consc-
qutntly l have only obtained reliable fig
,,re4, from small part OF our population,
rEd have had 10 bhra my totals on these
and on rtsorts from individuals. IL should
calculate alone by the deaths from con-
sumption in the cities reporting. ] would
egttmatc that there were over 5000 deaths
from this cause In Virginia in 1906. Blu,
knowing that this is unjus, 10 many OF the
country districts none OF which. however,
arc FREQ from the scourse. have made ie-
drctions that bring my calculations down To
between 5000 and $500 deaths from con-
sumption in Virginia last year. though 1
really Zee! that there wera more than this.
las there is no real registration OF con-
EnmptiSes In any part OF the State, 1t Is
necessary 10 estimate their number from the
deaths. This Is frequently done by multi
plying the number OF deaths by five To pc
conservative, 9ai.l multiply by four Instead
OF five which would give Virginia between
000 ia nsiIrnptiysR Mr. u.
w. r. Read esriinated two years ago that
there were 10000. think my figures will no,
be questioned.
state Has Done Nothing.
Now what Is Virginia rs state doing
for her consumptlres' / can almost answer
in enc ,word--nothing. for the State provides
no isanatoria. no hospitals. and, indeed. only
Indirectly recognizes the presence OF the
disease by an. ,irefsorced anticipating law.
Bui Virginia Is doing WORSE, :or the State
is really spreading the disease by combining
the tuberculous and the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. N
tha same rooms in her penal and charitable
institut!ons There is, however, one cxccp-
tion to this, as the Central State Hospital
fci the colored insane has, under the guild
nnce OF DR.. ". j, Drewry. established camps
Tor male and female consumptive patients,
end is doing very excellent work. Besides,
there is the sauator!url at Tronville which
has capaci,y,of less than forty. and which
receives no money from the public purse.
and small building for advanced cases ut
the Norfolk City Alrnshouse. This last has
a total OF eighteen beds. while there are
often thirty or forty ease cases at the .,, aims
other inmates. The other cities report that
they have no separate buildings for con
smpiives. ! know OF no city in the State
with. compulsory registration ordinance,
though they nearly all have some cases
reported. The majority of cities also tuui-
gate after death3or removal. but am unable
Infection and as to the proportion OF the
rooms treated The people are. however.
asking that rooms be tumiGated for tuber-
cu!oss, and this is very encouraging
b. Richmond. Norfolk, Portsmouth. Peters
burg and Newport News. The Richmond
ana Portsmouth boards OF health are doing
some educational work. the former having
gotten special appropriation of $4,000 for
this purpose and the establishment Of two
dlsrensaries. one for white and one for col
some educational work is being carried on In
Norfolk BY the ntt-Tuberculosis League. A
similar league was established IN Danville.
but ! have not heard OF Its doing active
vCrk. The rest of the work In the State Is
apparently individual or spasmodic.
People Being Aroused.
Though the efforts just outlined are en-
tiroly Inadequate when we consider our
10000 or 1900 consumptires still there has
beer in the last two years awakening
throughout the State In regard TO our re-
sponsibiiitY towards the tuberculous. And
the people merely need to have the ;uber-
brought to their attention to make them aid
III the work. Besides this. and partly de-
penden, on this we must obtain certain
State and c.tyeesisla+ion. First and fore
most. we !unst Nave better manner of OBJ
tairins a record OF the cases and deaths
f,om tuberculosis. so that we can know the
req! situation. Few people realize that out
side OF our larger cities no death certificates
arc required, and that people can easily be
poisoned and buried and no questions asked
In this Virginia is far behind many OF the
other States. The State Board OF Health Is
askins for a law to require death certin.
cotes and 10 have record Kept OF al
deaths at central Office. In this way we
shall at least have record of the deaths
frcm tuberculosis, and where they occurred
The cities should adopt ordinances TO re.
Gr!re the registration OF tuberculosis cases
80 that their health departments WILL bt
able to keep in touch with the situation
Tha Norfolk Health Department has asket
the Medical Society to cooperate with il II
obtaining such n law. Next. proper hospi
tale should be provided for advanced cases
who are now being confined in our jails ant
aimkhouses, where they are doubtless infect
ing many OF the other inmates. The stat
Beard OF Health Is also preparing law t,
give the tuberculsr inmates OF our institu
tiops separate quarters, to have such case
reported, and TO have rooms vacated b.
ccnEumptiyes dsinfected and renovated. A
] stated before, Virginia and its cities an,
counties are really spreading consumption
through the agency Of the Jails. almshouse
and other institutions whose inmates, ate
being infected, go home to spread the dis