Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1909-11-23
ANTI-TUBERCULOsIS LEAGUE FORMED.
Interesting Addresses Delivered And Steps
Taken to Combat the Disease.

been appointed secretary for Row.
an County by the State Anti-Tu-
berculosis Association, called a
mass meeting, which was held in
the Court House here Saturday
night. After an invocation by
Rev. W. T. Cheetham, DR.. Nc
Kenzie took charge of the meet
ing, explained the need of such
work as Is proposed to be done by
the association and the objects of
the meeting. He then called up
on DR.. W. S. Rankin, secretary
of the State Board of Health, who
addressed the audience.
DR.. Rankin took for his subject
1.-THE EEconomic Aspect of
HEALTH" He dealt largely in fig
ures and the marathon of expert
ments, which, to him at least,
were conclusive evidence in IA
vor of the sanitary measures en-
ployed and to be employed. He
stated that, according to numer.
GUS calculations, made by inves.
tlgators. widely separated, the
value OF the average human life,
IN America, was 50, 900 over and
above the expanse of his susten.
ance, and that the average value
of life lost by preventable diseases
was $500. Thus, with the death
rate by such diseases, he figured
the annual loss, in dollars and
cents, of various cities and the en-
tire country. Among the most
common and most disastrous of
these diseases be named typhoid
fever, yellow fever, malaria and
consumption. These, he said,
were not always durable, but al
most entirely preventable. He
asserted that typhoid and yellow
fever killed more of our soldiers
during the Spanish-American war
than did the Spanish bullets. He
sad that the common house fly
carried the germs of typhoid fever
and'caused 25 per cent, of the ca
SOS of sickness therefrom, water 80
to so per cent. and milk about 20
per cent. To prevent the spread
of typhoid. he recommended the
use of fy-proof window and door
screens, especially for the dining
and sick rooms. and the prevent.
ion of slops, privy, hog-pen and
stable drains into the we'll or
spring. He said the mosquito
was the cause of malaria, that
there are about 70 varieties of
musquitos, but only one variety
that causes malaria by biting the
victim, and that $50, 900 deaths
occur every year in the United
States Bfrom this cause. His
method of preventing this disease,
is to get rid of the musquito.
Drain off all stagnant water posi-
BILE and put kerosene on the large
bodies Of water that cannot be
drained, thus destroying the
breeding place of the musquito.
The mosquito bar and screens can
also be used to great advantage.
Summing up his calculations, he
claimed that about one billion
dollars was the annual cost by
sickness aud death in the United
States annually, practically all of
which could be prevented by TAX
ing the proper precautions.
The next speaker was DR.. Roy
Williams, of Greensboro, an au-
thority on tuberculosis. He told
the story of consumption from its
origin to the death Of it's victim
He said there were a very few, If
any, cases of hereditary consump-
ton. It is a contagious disease
and can be taken by breathing
dust blown from the public high.
wavs or sweeping of a room where
same careless consumptive has
spit. Many cases, however, orig
mate Eas pleurisy, without any
known cause, of which 100 per
cent, he believed, if not detected
and cured at an early stage. would
develop into consumption and
result fatally. What he called
secondary sspleurisy, vas that
which followed Pneumonia or ty.
phoid; % to 40 per scent. of these
would develop into consumption
and prove fatal. He said the
great need was for an early recog-
milton of the disease and the i'm
mediate attention of a physician,