The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-24

how ia. live in order not only to pro: tect others but themselves as well against ,reinfection.. tn cope with this great question without the approval and cooperation or tne public and support of the State county and municipal officers. When sucn et- fort is once evoked the end is not far distant J The State has already pro- vided money for establishing and oper- ating a State sanitArium for the care and treatment of acute curable cases of tuberculosis. This institution when put in operation can at best accom- modate but limited number or pa. tients.. However. it will be sreas sd hence through the State Board oi Health, will become source or educa- ton to the people throughout the com, municipalities of the State must as soon as practicable erect and maintain like institutions for the care or more advanced and hopeless cases And public dispensaries under the super vision of the county boards of health must be provided for the treatment of such as have to continue at work' and have not means sufficient to pay for such services. The munnicipalities must enlarge the scope of their health departments. some supervision must be- had over such places of business and labor as keep their employees close ly confined for long periods of time and advice given as to proper con struction for these as well as all pub lie buildings.
 'sIn almost any gathering of today two topics ever and anon arise for dis cussion, one Is the great white plague and the other the everlasting negro ouestion. We of the South can well consider them together for the negro is our greatest source of danger from tuberculosis. As servants they neces- sarily come in intimate contact with us In many ways. From statistics given, it was seen that while the ne- groes represent only about forty-hve over sixty-thre per cent of the tuber- cular deaths are credited to this race, and that of the total deaths among the white race eleven and one-sixth per of the total deaths among negroes nearly niDteen per cent was from this cause. It is claimed that this condi- ticnis due. to an idlosyncrasy. the negro race being peculiarly prone to con tract this disease. But find nothing in support of this theory. As a slave the Sesro was Tsh ei.. fed properly peiled to remain at home at night. had regular employment, when i'll was giy- en the best medical care, and made to oh ey the ordinary principles of right living. Since his emancipation he is half starved, poorly clothed, lives in dirty. filthy habitaticTs, works indif- ferently. roams the earth by day and FA contracted pernicious habits, all of which tend to bring him down as easy prey to any wasting disease. The absclntes and utter lack Of all moral gro as a class renders him a menace in questions of public health. and the expenditure of millions of dollars dur ing the past forty years upon his so- called education and uplifting has not bettered this condition. on the contrary this moral obloquy has deepened. A seeming absence of fear for the ter TOTS of disease. and a complete indif- gering others. with consequent proneness to harbor and conceal those sunerfng from contagious and infec- tious maIadies makes this people a fertile source for the propagation and dissemination of these diseases. We must meet this phase of the question as we have always done. where this race IS conoernedi with justice and ua- at the same time with Hrmness and decision. Through their leaders and the more intelligent of tae race we must teach them the great dangers of this disease and make them understand the sad havoc 1t is playing among them each day. and show them what menace they are becoming not only to themselves but to society generally by their negligence in ali sanitary matters. We must provide for the care of the indigsnt and helpless among them and endeavor to organize socie- ties among them to aid In this work of caring for all consun1ptives. And further they must be given to under stand if they will not accept these ef- forts as they are intended and aid in this good work, that we will urotect. ourselves against infection from them by inviting the strong arm of the law. This is indeed the most important and at the same time the most serious phase of the tuberculosis problem in A