Goldsboro semi-weekly argus., 1909-11-27
GREAT WHITE PLAGUE
Organization Against Tuber.
cuIosis HoIdS Meeting
in Washington.
Dr' Livingstone Farrand, of New
fork, Declares Millions of School
children Will Die Before
They Are Eighteen.

Washington, D. c., Nov. 25.-Dr.
Livingstone Farrand, of New York.
executive secretary of the National
Association for the Study and Preyen-
ton OF tuberculosis, in addressing the
annual meeting of the District Asso-
citation for the Prevention of Tuber-
i culosis, in University Hall, George
Washington University, last evening,
contrasted conditions in the campaign
against the disease as they are TODAY
with those existing four years ago
when the organized campaign was in
augurated.
DR.. Farrand, in line with the other
Speakers, laid especial stress upon
prevention through educational means.
and declared the country is now ex-
pending $7,500,000 annually for the ed
ucation of 100000 children who. un-
der present conditions, will die before
they reach the age of eighteen years.
Gen. George M. Sternberg, in his an
nual report as president, made the
significant statement that the propor-
ton of deaths from tuberculosis
among children in the District is sew
en- colored to one white. He attribu-
ted the high colored juvenile death
rate to the environment in which
many of the negroes live.
In placing the results of his studies
in contrasted conditions before his
hearers, DR.. Farrand said averages
would show that during the past year
an organization or agency to fight tu-
berculosis had been formed every day,
or that fifteen new beds had been pro-
vlded every day for the care of tuber.
eulosis patients.
The speaker said the organized cam
paign against the great white plague
opened in 1905. At that time there
were twenty-four associations in the
country for the prevention of the dis
ease. Today there are 342 such asso-
Citations, which increased at the rate
of 6S per cent. during the last year.
Previous to 1905 there were lis hos
pitals and sanatoriums, while today
| there are $50. There are now 332 spe-
cial tuberculosis dispensaries as
against nineteen in 1905, and the num-
ber has more than doubled during the
past year.
Considering the subject of legisla-
ton, DR.. Farrand stated that during
| the past year the legislatures of
tw enty-eight states and territories
considered 101 laws to prevent the
spread of tuberculosis and passed six
| ty-fcur. These acts were instrumental
in the appropriation of $S,00O,000 to
ne expended in the fight against the
disease.
| Turning his attention to the prob.
lem of the spread of tuberculosis III
| the schools, the speaker said that 3
5GU.G00 of the 100000 school chiI-
| dren of the country had received syS-
tematic instruction on the subject dur
ing the past year. Based on such in
| vestigations as he has been able to
make, he declared that 100000 OF
| these school children will die before
they reach their eighteenth year un-
less conditions are changed. In other
words, the country is now paying ST.
100000 every year for the education of
children who will not reach the age
mentioned. :.
DR.. Farrand said it is necessary to
realize that in so far as the prevention
of the spread of tuberculosis is con-
cerned the care of advanced cases is
greater Importance than the cure of
durable cases. He advocated a rigid
registration law and it's vigorous en-
forcement.