The farmer and mechanic., 1910-02-22
STOP THE WHITE PLAGUE
Raleigh's Health Officer Shows
Need of Action

Need OF Action
Capital Cited to Show the Need of
Separating These Suffering from
tuberculosis from Others, and Par
ticularIy Saving the Children.
TO the Editor: The last meeting Of
| county at the request OF the members
from the Anti-TuberculosiS Society OF
| Wake county, donated $500 as part
| OF a fund necessary to secure the Ma
| tional Anti-Tuberculoss Exhibit in
| Raleigh. am glad they did, and
while l do not think that the exhibit
| is the best thing We can do yet as q
| means to an end. let US be grateful for
| .. starter. Our folks must learn.
| They must be made afraid Of tubercu-
/ lOsis and the exhibit will help to do
that. Once they understand the dan
ger from tuberculosis, getting the
| home will be easy.
| Many cities and towns are awaken
| ing to the importance Of this subject
and some have made an effort to help
! by the employment Of trained, Or as
/ called where used, district nurses.
u
much: but still it does not and can
not do what the home would--iso!ate
the afflicted from those liable to con-
tract the disease. The district nurses
, can visit. instruct. administer Go q
| great many good things, but with the
susceptible exposed to the afflicted. all
| her good deeds would be as pearls
/ before swine Every physician can
not help giving good advice, our sani-
| atrv Inspector in Raleigh is required
| to do tllis--but it avails naught unless
| flame can be kept from the fuel
! During a years observation in Ra-
! leigh, / have seen a. family OF five.
husband. wife and three children
one born during the time. occupy the
same room. and that pot over four.
teen by sixteen feet. The husband
died, and the mother now has every
appearance Of incipient tuberculosis.
] have seen another family, huS-
band wife and three children, living
together in one small room, the chill
dren elm bing around and over the
bed upon which their mother was Ia
| gushing and died from tuberculosis.
The husband now has every appear
ancc of inclpient tuberculosis.
| haven't seen the children lately.
Both OF these cases were taken care
| of by the Associated Charities and
the churches and nejghbOrs, and in
the latter case the Associated Chari-
ties had a fairly Intelligent woman
| who did q great deal for the suferin &
| woman. and while she understood the
grave dangers in the case, the power
ty of the situation preciuded anything
being accomplished The husband in
this case has every appearance OF be-
ing now in the clutches of this ma
lady. In another Instance, i young
lady living With q married sister. was
the unfortunate one. The sister had
children, and cord itions were sucl,
. IF ii il,nC
and the efforts cf the family ana
friends, there were daily YES, hourly,
exposures in that home of those in
nocent helpless children. These are
only a few Of the many-SeVerai are
now under observation, and for this
reason not related. Instances multi
ply as We think Of ii, and they are
all alike flame coming in contact with
fuel and so often innocent little hu-
man beings being the fuel Should
we not be humane enough to con
slider the innocent helpless child? Ii
We should. how should We? The
best way to be sure is to build home
for the INDECENT incurable tubercular.
Remove the flame from the 1uet.
The State has taken step In this
direction, and by an appropriation has
elected ut Montrose a sort Of tram
ing school and home where the affiict-
etl may go for a month for exaTnlna-
ton advice. training and treatTn ent,
provided he be able to pay one dollar
per day while it is asceFtainec Wheth-
er his case is hopeless or curab1e Ii
! cur;.hle and able TO continue to pay,
he is kept for training and treatment,
if HELPLESS he is returned With IN
struction and training how to prevent
the contamination Of others, provided
he is inclined to put in practice his
training and he is able to do SO al
horne. But what of the INDECENT in
| .,,ra bto tnhercpf.,r? IL lie had had al
of the state training school education