El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-12-18
Fighting tuberculosis
The Sick From Other Sections Have
Scattered the Disease Among
the Natives.
-- nv DR. &. II. Race --
by DE-. c. T. Race

TNDER specific and definite CLASH
fication of destrOyers of human
~ life, tuberculosis stands as the
single disease Of greatest mortality to
man. 1t viii not be violent though, to
mention, that statistics reveal to US that
for every u deaths from tuberculosis
there are II deaths from pneumonia
Think too, of that
Ell Paso ranks far foremost and
highest in southwest United States as
a rendezvous or resort for persons suf-
fering from tuberculosis. This fact
explains why such a large proportion
of our city's inhabitants are sufferers
from tuberculosis.
One death in 10 of all deaths in the
United States is from tuberculosis. One
tenth of all deaths in q national pOpu-
latiOn Of over 80,O00,000 10 years ago,
is a vastly less number than One-tenth
Of all deaths IN present, national
places before our minds a single
prOdigiOus conception or how goes the
tuberculosis battle. tuberculosis is
still overcoming US as a people. We
must fight harder. battle more skill
fully, work more intelligently-
For five years, 1907-1911-tO January
/ 1912. there were 1870 deaths from
tuberculosis at FL Paso. Nine hundred
and seventeen of these were Americans,
$50 were MeXicans. A were negroes
and nine were Chinese and indians.
Now take a running view OF part OF
what the coming to FL PasO of tuber-
CulOuS sick people has done to that no
tuberculosis among long resident
Americans and natives Of % years ago.
Annually we have had, at FL PasO, dur
ing those five years an average of %
deaths from tuberculosis among Mex
leans. natives and surely enough
deaths from tuberculosis of FL PasO
born Americans to make it a hundred
or more, per annum, where there were
none p years ago So much as effect
OF contag1on and injection from ana
by tuberculOus incomers to FL PasO-
OF the 917 Americans who died OF
tuberculosis at FL Paso in those five
years-an annual average Of 1S3-near-
y all are incOmers, one death among
Americans every two days The deaths
of 81 Mexlcans per annum is one every
four days. The aggregate OF 143O In
these five years; an annual average of
2S6, is an average Of four deaths every
five days. "A every month So now to
cretely for easy remembrance let US
say that there is at FL PasO the death
from tuberculosis of one American eV-
cry two days, the death of one Mexican
every four days, and the aggregate
deaths among all Of four deaths every
Having now a distinct and defint-S
understanding Of this enemyis dalfr
work, what shall we do to help
the already afflicted and to pro-
tect the healthy from tuberculosis
lnEEG are LWU EAldLaLLEL4SLAG pAAE-
nOmena connected with persons suffer
ing from tuberculosis that are worthy
of careful consideration in our fight
ing it. One of these two is the all
absorbing and controlling optimism in
these cases So strong is this that they
never fatty cOncede that life is endan-
gered by it. Another characteristic OF
these sufferers is their complete indif-
ference of the harm they may be TO
others from contagion and Infection It
seldom occurs that we see absence OF
this in these cases
For reason Of these two dominating
characteristics we encounter a cynl-
cism, a morOse contempt Of the pleas
ures and acts of life that appa1 and
stun Us as we strive to protect our
selves from them Medicine and
surgery on the one hand in an effort
to save, have lost the battle TO disease
and injury. Hygiene alone is saving US
from humiliation This ought not in
intelligence 10 be true. but it IS. We
find the average length Of life to be
no greater now, about IS years, than 1t
was in the new version Of ~the dark
ages of the history of man. the his
tory of the ages of darkness for man
We save the baby but lose the adult
What we now avert in infancy and
youth is overcome in and by the work
ings OF civilization at IS or As years of
age. Baby inflammatOry digestive dis
eases presented are substituted by
adult life destroying chronic liver, in
festival, kidney, heart lung, and body
nutritiOnal disturbances and diseases
all summed up as dtFObedience to known
natural laws Of existence