The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-03-16
TUBERCULOSIS WAR
AMONG NEGROES
Organization OF Leagues
Marks New Era
MUCH NEtD FOR THE WORK
prevalence off the Plague Among
Blacks is Well ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Plan Consists OF Organizing Every
Church Into An acknowledgements
League With the Pastor of the
Church at Its Head.
(By the Associated Press,

- AN~*@
(By the Associated Press.)
Savannah, Ga, March l3.-The
movement recently inaugurated by
the United States Public Health and
Marine Hospital Service OF organizing
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. leagues among the
negroes of the South. marks the COM
mencement of a new era in public
health work. and is one OF great i'm
p~ortance, the far reaching effects of
which are incalculabte.
1t is 4 Well known fact that tuber-
culosiS is very. prevalent among the
negroes, and nearly four times is
many OF them die Of the disease as
white people in the same localities.
The great difficulty in dealing with
such iSeaSeS as tuberculosis among
the negroes has been the inability to
reach them in ZONE effective way,
and teach them how to protect them
selves against the disease. The
scheme devised by the United States
Public Health and Marine Hospital
Service seems to offer the most prac-
teal solution yet presented. Briefly
stated it is as follows: 10 establish
in each State having q large negro
population a State antl-tl berCtI!OSlS
league for negroes. with a vice-presi-
dent for each county In the State; that
Nice-president is expected to organize
every negro church il his county into
q church anti-tuberculosiS league. OF
which the pastor of the church~Whi
be the head. 1t Is proposed that each
member of the church pay small an
nual dues. and will De given an at
tractive and ornamental certificate of
membership, that may be framed and
hung on the walls OF the home as an
ornament. On the certificate will be
printed simple information in regard
TO the disease; the measures necessary
fAs ,rax-ntfio o. ito Cprpaj and IfS n,1rp
if contracted.
Will Appeal to Negro.
1t is thought that these certificates
will appeal to the negro. who, having
70 pay something for them viii value
them more highly. and Will preserve
them and learn from them some of
the principles of sanitation. The
funds derived from the annual dues in
each church are to De used by the
league of that church in caring for
it's own members who may have tuber-
c~uIosis. Thus in joining their church
league the negroes are contributing to
their own care in case they are
stricken with the disease. q feature
hat it is thought Will strongly appeal
to the mind II IS also pro-
posed to teach these lessons OF SAM
tation in the negro
The movement was i~naugurated a
few days ago at Savannah, Georgia, at
a Negro Farmers Conference, where.
at the suggestion Of q representative
of the Public Health n Marine Hos
pital Service, the Georgia State Anti
tuberculosis League for Negroes was
organized, r. r. Wright. president OF
the Georgia State. Industrial College
Us president, and DIR. s. P. Lloyd, OF
as secretary. All OF the
officers and members Of the leagu
are TO be negroes.
This is the first negro anti-tubercu-
lOsiS league that has ever been form
ed. It is understood n a measures
are now being perfected, under the
auspices of the Public Health and Ma
= rine Hospital Service. for the estab-
lishfnent of q National Negro Anti
Tuberculosis League.
Why Whites Are Interested.
The subject is one of especial in
tcerst to the white people of the
south, because they are thrown into
. intimate contact with the negroes. who
are employed as cooks, nurses, house
servants, laundresses. etc. ANY IN
= fectious disease, such as tuberculosis
. affecting the negro. thus brought into
the homes Of the whites in such close
. contact with them. exposes the whites
to the Infection 1t may. therefore
be assumed hat the white people OF
the South. as a matter Of self protec-
ton. TO say nothing Of the humani
tartan aspect. will be deeply interest
cd, and will lend. their aid to any
movement looking to an Improvement
in the health conditions Of the ne
groes. (
IN Savannah steps have. been taker
already to organize church leagues ir
the various denominations, and THE