Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-30
Way to Fight
Tuberculosis
ny GEORGE N. sTERNBERG,


President Association for the Prevention OF
tuberculosis Of the District of Columbia.
During the yeap.. 1912 more than 700
deaths from tuberculosis occurred in the
National Capital. If this number OF
deaths had occurred as result OF an
earthquake tornado or fire the whole
country would be aroused and offers Or
assistance would be received from all
quarters If the same nuIhber of deaths
had resulted from an epidemiG@of cholera
or hubonic plague. the city would be de-
serted BY all who could get away from
it, and there would be vigorous demand
Tor strict quarantine and investigation 10
ascertain why these ''preventable dis
eases were allowed to slaughter the CHI
zens of the National Capital. But tuber-
fulosis is also a preventable disease, anu
from humanitarian point of view 'oo
preventabe deaths occurring IN year
are quite as important matter as IL
they had all occurred during one month
,or one day of the year
, Practically every victim of this disease
contracts il either directly or indirectly
from a preceding case or from injection
BY the bovine tubercle bacillus
Development of the Disease.
The development of the disease de-
rends: First, upon the Introduction OF
the specific germ-tubercle bacillus-to
which the disease is due, and, second,
upon the susceptibility of the individual
TO infection If we caaid destroy all
aubercle bacilH the disease could become
extinct or if We could make all per-
sons immune against the fleets of the
1uhercle bacillus. e.. against Injection
by this deadly serm-the Tavages OF TIE
disease would soon be arrested In the
!campaign against the white prague
I'VE keep both of these objects IN view,
and endeayor to instruct the pubic as 10
sha best methods of accomplishing the
desired results. This is the principal
function of an Association for the IRE
yention OF tuberculosis.
!, -rhc main obstacles we have to meet IN
fthis campaign of education are indlHer-
.ence and ignorance. Unfortunately the
indifference of the well-tO-do and Well IN
formed classes of society is often as hard
Ito overcome as the ignorance OF the
poorer classes. who furnish large pro-
sf,ortion Of the cases. Every person III
good health has considerable degree Oh
resistance to infection by the tubercio
fbacilus But this relative immunity is
weakened by various agencies when
lower the standard of health e., the
rxital resisting power-of the individual
..sulorC these agencies may mention
Especially Insufficient food. excessive
" ork. dissipation insanitary surround,
singS bad air from oreFcrowding in cloSed
,apartments and various diseases which
5ower the vital resistance
Agencies for Prevention.
I Among the most potent agencies for the
prevention of tuberculosis are associa-
,tions for the relief of poverty. for the
prevention Of vice. for the building OF
81 nitary houses for the poor. visiting
nurses tuberculosis dspensares, sana-
toria and hospitals for the segregation OF
careless and advanced cases of the dis
ease In addition to all this, there g
one agency which is fundamental That
is education. To formulate measures OF
prevention we must have definite knoWl-
edge with reference to the tubercle pa
cillus as to how it gains entrance to the
human body. and as to the results of its
pathogenic action. We must know how
to recognize 1t under the microscope, how
to destroy it by chemical or physical
agents etc. But all this knowledge will
be of no avail unless the public generally
appreciates the fact that tuberculosis is
a preventable disease and is convinced OF
the Importance of the measures of pre-
sention which we recommend +. There
fore, ] say again, education is a funda-
mental factor in the prevention OF tuber-
eulosis.
~
That positive and encouraging results
have been obtained by our past efforts
TO limit the ravages of this infectious dis
ease is shown by the statistics of many
OF our large cities in various parts Of. the
country. In the city of Washington the
mortality during the five-year periods
from 1881 TO 1855 was 1883 per 100000 of
population among whites, and 6212
among the colored citizens. There has
been a constant reduction since that time,
and for the five years from 1908 to 1910
The rate per 100000 was for whites 1907
and for colored 45o6.
4 Ii will be seen from these hgures that
tie death rate among the colored popu-
.ation is considerably more than three
times as great as among the whites. In
any opinion this difference Is largely que
TO bad housing conditions and the various
depressing influences which are assoc1at-
ed with poverty and vice.