Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-04-01
WHITE PLAGUE IS
PRE- VALENT IN
ALL GEORGIA

A narrowing story Of primitive con-
ditions in Georgia concerning treat
ment general knowledge and public
regard of tuberculosis is contained in
the report, published Tuesday, Of the
State investigator for the w G. Raoul
Foundation, Miss Jessamine Whitney.
Recording the invariable prevalence
of the disease throughout the stats.
Miss Whitney declares:
THE tuberculosis patient Is not
getting a square deal anywhere He
is denied admission to a general hos
pital and there is no other place pro-
vided for him. The physicians, too,
for the most part. do not care to
treat tuberculosis and do not wish
such patients to come to their Of
fees, The number of poor wretChes
thus suffering from this most dread
ful NJ all sCourges, who are in de-
spair hopeless, bereft of hospitals
and medical attention in Georgia, at
the present time reaches into the
many thousands
"On the general basis Of calcula-
ton there would be 26.500 cases at
present This is a conservative esti-
mate; 7 presume there are many
more than that Each Of this num-
Der is a center of infection a daily
menace to his fellow men"
Conditions Bad Here.
Miss Whitneys observations were
garnered from her visits to typical
sections of the State Atlanta was
surveyed in the course of the tour
and many Ereweome pictures Of in
sanitary living quarters of Atlanta's
poorer classes are presented as evil
dence that in the capital city the dis
ease is winked at, as everywhere,
II have visited and collected data
from four cities having a population
Of over $4,000; from FIVE cities be-
tween 10000 and 25,000 from FIVE %
population between $500 and 10000,
and from three smaller towns. At
the time of the 1910 census the pop
ulation of Georgia was over four
llfths rural To get figures concern
Ing this very large rural population
three counties were selected, varying
greatly in topography. occupations
and proportions between the two
races, one in the pine belt, one in
the midst OF the farming country and
one In the mountains I may say
that tuberculosis is as generally scat
tered over the territory covered as il
spread with an impartial hand In
the sandy lowlands in the Blue Ridge
country north, south. east. west st IS
exacting its yearly toll relentlessly.
have vet to visit a locality where
there have been no ca SEES
The death rate from tuberculosis in
the three largest cities visited are
1874 III and 242 to the 100 900 of
population Every where in the State.
Miss Whitney declares, she encoun-
tered condition Of the darkest ig-
uorance concerning the disease be-
cause there is no adequate registra-
ton Of cases or Of deaths in most
places no registration at ALL so that
she was obliged 10 gather her fig
ures from physicians undertakers.
sections. and even from a house to-
house canvass.
Estimate Even Too Low.
u have mentioned the reasons for
incomplete figures" she continues, "to
bring out the remarka bleness of the
average estimated rate Of 1902 per
100000, ana also to furnish q basis
for estimating the probable rate Il
we had complete registration. If /
should say that obtained two thirds
of he deaths IN the territory COW
cred it would be nearer the true fig
ures. and our death rate would be
270 per 100000, which would more
nearly represent the true ratio in
Georgia
Miss Whitney estimates that the
annual loss Of life from consumption
In Georgia each year is $500 Of which
She says
"Fifty-three hundred adult lives
sacrificed in Georgia alone means ar
economic loss of over $2,500.0G0" And