The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-12-03
DUTY RESTS WITH
CITY AUTHORITIES
municipalities Should Take
Care OF Their Consump-
tives. Say Experts
PROPER SEGREGATION
OF PATIENTS URGED
Paper Read by Petersburger at
State Health Conference
Provokes Much interest
ing DISCUSSION

Responsibility for the care "f
tubercuiar patients lies hrst oil ali
with municipalities a:.a II Is lhcuf'A-
bent upon them IT, make proper pro-
vision for such palients Just s-s u
done In the ase OF smallpox
Much emphasis was laid on TINS
point at the Saturday morning session
OF the First Virginia Conference on
Tuberculosis In the auditorium OF Me
,iianies institute,
AS a business proposition. II will
pay our cities To provide funds neces-
sary to secure this result" declared
w. Nj. Martin. chairman of the puo-
lefty committee of the fetersouTs
Antl-Tubercuiosis society. who READ
paper on the Birdyilie Sanatarium re-
Gently esta biiehed near that city.
Dr. knnion Williams. State health
commissioner. commenting on the
PAPER, said IL gave him great pleasure
10 note the steps taken by Peters
burg in the way of municipal sina-
torium and he believed the work go
far accom- plished Will stimulate SINH
ar efforts all over the State.
Mr. Martin took exception to the
term municipal sanatorium az ap-
piled by DIR. Williams but ne SAID II
was the ultimate hope of hts league
to have the city OF Petersburg take
hold Of the place and make Ii a MUM
.ipat sanatorium. as II ought TO De
Wants Tubcrcular Farm.
Or. Vernon Brooks, health officer
OF Portsmouth, discussing the same
paper. Mas very emphatic IN deciar-
ing that municipalities should shout
der the responsibility in dealing with
eonsumpfives. Already. he said, he
WAS making determined efforts 10
have a tubercular farm esta hished
near hts home city and he felt con
filent he would carry his point soon
ar Or later.
ur. Brooks especially urged the seg.
regation Of ransumptfves In tails aud
almshouses. where practically no sep
arate provision Is made for them al
present throughout the State. Again.
he felt that greater efforts should
lie made To ferret out consumptNes
in their homes Az an instance. he
cited the case Of the washerwoinan
who does her work perhaps In the
same room where her husband may
be dying of tuberculosis without the
knowledge OF the proper autheFities,
Live Four Years.
Dr. Brooks estimated that the ave-
rage cofsumpt.ya lives four year ar
ter contracting the disease and the
sooner the cas- Is given proper at
tention the ErAter the assurance that
a care viii he effected
The Portsmouth physician believed
that If the municipal authorities were
10 hold a conference on tuberculosis
as they frequently do on other aues-
tons. the desired results would be
brought about In short time
Statistics. Lacking.
Il,
treasurer OF the Norfolk League. con-
t,nuing the discussion. called atten
ton to the difficulty in getting proper
vital statistics ans proper health regis
tration facts. He said the State board
az health was horribly handicapped
In this respect.
DIR. W. y. Tewksbury suparinten-
pent Of the Catawba Sanatorium. dis
cussed the question OF providing quar-
sers for patients. Patients with ad-
ssnced cases. he said should sleep
IN rooms provided with ut least some
heat. because Of their poor circulation
and generally low physical condition.
otherwise, he advocated pure fresh
air for patients. as far az possible.
City Gives $500.
AIR Martin, in the course OF his
paper ON the Petersburg institution.
said that the city council had ap-
propriated &i.5oe towards its main
tenance and this WAS about one
fourth OF what II would cost to ope-
rate the place the nrst Year. His
league, he said. has about $50 men,
bers. who have agreed to pay 81
year each. Other members pay as
much as $40 and some pay much
more.
The city furnishes the sAnatorlum
With free water and other necessf-
ties are provided at no cost
Between July /, 1901. and July I.
1910. he said that AIS negroes died
Of consumption In Petersburg, ac-
cording to the statistics. and 3T6
white persons succumbcd to the dis
ease during that period. He attrib-
nted the large mortality among the
negroes partly to the fact that many
OF them 20 north as servants. con-
tract tuberculosis In the colder ell
mate, and then return home to die.
FAvOrs C0mmiasiOnu Form.
Later In the discussion DIR. Brooks
went ON record favoring the commis-
sion form Of city government. because.
as he said. he had found from ex-
perience in lobbying with counciimen
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