The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-09-01
CONGRESS
WASHINGTON PREPARING FOR
TUBERCULOSIS CONVENTION.

Few Men Who Know Anything About
the Great White Plague will be
Absent.
A dispatch from Washington, says
active preparations for the big tuber-
culosis congress that is to begin its
sessions in that city September 2l
are now we'll under way, and as stat
ed in this correspondence there is
hardly a man in this or any other
country who knows anything about
this dread disease who will be abb
sent from the meetings.
Installation of the exhibits for the
congress, which will be placed on dis
play for the benefit and study of the
delegates, will be commenced early
next week by Dr.. Henry Boyer, U. S.
NJ, chairman of the committee on
exhibits.
Every thirty-six minutes there is
a death from consumption in the
Stare of New York" is the remark
able statement that will appear on
one of the charts to be shown in
the New York section of the eXhi-
bits.
To many the death figures given
here will be surprising and even
startling. The great majority OF
people have no conception Of the aw-
full ravages of this diseage-the dead
ly work of the Great White Plague" ="
More profound still is the ignorance
of the nature of the disease. Be-
lieving and regarding it as heredl-
tary and therefore practically incur
able, humanity has for many years
suffered tuberculosis to go uncheck-
ed, but science has lately come to
the front and it has been clearly
proven time and time again that the
disease is not near so bad as it seems
when ordinary precautions are TAX
en- and when common scense tactics
are employed to stamp it out when
it is first discovered.
To disseminate our present day
knowledge of the means and methods
for checking and securing control oV-
.er this terrible ,scourge, an: education
al campaign of the highest smpor-
tance to humanity and to science was
carried on in many. cities of New
York State during the last year. But
the people in the rural districts
those who ore not permitted because
of their isolated situation to take ad-
vantage Of. what is allowed those In
the cities-are to be better taken
care of in the future. To them
should be impaired all the informa-
+tion possible about the disease, Its
origin, and the proper and only
thorough method Of eSectually get
ting rid Of It
. It Is a noteworthy fact that figures
compiled by. the census bureau. show
conclusively that more people con
tract and die from tuberculosis in
the small towns than in the larger
cities in proportion to the number OF
inhabitants per square mile.
The exhibits that are to form part
of the congress will be made up OF
maps, diagrams, models of well light
ed and we'll ventilated factories and
those ill-kept and badly ventilated
for the purpose of comparison. There
will be many models of sweat-shor
work rooms taken from actual life
in New York, Chicago md other cit
les where the tuberculosis germ lnds
an excellent breeding place in many
instances. Pictures Of dispensaries
and sanitariums where consumptlves
are treated until restored to health
and vigor will also be shown
1t is the opinion of DR.. Boyer and
others arranging for the congress
that if those really interested in the
crusade against the ravages of tuber'
culosis will take the trouble to come
to Washington during the time the
convention is being held they may
learn facts thai will be of inestimable
value to them and that will in many
cases, save the lives of their loved
ones.
All may come who wish. There
will be no restriction and the sessions
of the congress will be open to the
public. Not only this. but the ex
hibits just mentioned, the finest col
lection in all probability that has ever
been gotten together at any one time
before, will be free and will be ex
planned by skilled seientists'