Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-31
WHITE PLAGUE IS
PREVALENT IN
ALL GEORGIA


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 State.
Miss Whitney declares:
The tuberculosis patient is not
getting a square deal anywhere. He
Is denied admission to a general hos
ptal and there IS no other place pro-
vded 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
full of 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 90. 500 cases ~
present. This is a. conservative esti-
mate; ! presume there are many
more than that. Each OF this num-
Der is center of infection, daily
menace to his fellow men
GOnQlLlONS Ddu FlCFC'
Miss Whitney's observations were
gar-e"ed from her visits to typical
r..ssans of the State. Atlanta was
surveyed in the course Of the tour.
and many grewsome pictures OF in
sanitary living quarters of Atlanta's
poorer classes are presented as evil
deuce that IN the capital city the dis
ease is winked at as everywhere.
Il have visited and collected data
from four cities having A population
OF over $4,000. from FIVE cities be-
tween 10000 and $4,000 from five o.
population between $500 and 10,Vto.
and from three smaller towns. At
the time of the 1910 census the pop
ulation OF Georgia was over fotT-
fifths rural To get figures concerr-
ing this very large rural population
three counties ere 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 | may say
that tuberculosis is as generally scat
tered over the territory covered as II
spread with an Impartial hand In
the sandy lowlands, in the Blue Ridge
country. north, south. east, west, Il is
exacting It's yearly toll relentlessly.
have vet to visit a locality where
there have been no cases"
The death rate from tuberculosis In
the three largest cities visitcsl are
1874. III and 242 to the 100000 OF
population Everywhere in the State.
Miss whitney declares, she encoun-
tered condition of the darkest ig-
norance 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 to gather her fig
ures from physicians. underta kers.
sections and even from a house-to to-
house canvass.
Estimate Even Too Low.
Il have mentioned the reasons for
incomplete figures she continues. TO
bring out this remarkableness Of the
average estlma ted rate of 1902 per
100000. and 9lso to furnish a basis
for estimating the probable rate il
we had complete registration II l
should say that ] obtained two thirds
Of the deaths in the territory COW
cred, it would be nearer the true fg-
ures, and our death rate would be
go 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 81, 500. 600 And
then she reflects ironically on the
huge appropriations made toward the
eradication Of hog cholera and other
diseases among animals, where but
petty sums are publicly spent to
thwart tuberculosis
The reasons for tine spread Of the
disease in Georgia, and the needs IF
the State as she sees them Miss
Whitney relates.
Ignorance is the biggest factor
with which We viii have to contend n
our program Of eradicdting tubercu-
losis IN Georgia she says Every
person in Georgia should know that II
is not a necessary evil but a durable,
preyentable disease. which for lack Of
proper remedial measures is killing
over $500 in Georgia year in and year
out.
Education Is Needed
We need fearless physicians and
we need people deucated so they are
NOT afraid TO listen to the truth.
The housing conditions are partly
responsible The negro dwellings have
aptly been called tuberculosis facto-
ries
Consideration of the fact that any
sufferer white or black, is a focus
Of infection is imperative.
The proper inspection Of foodstuffa
especially meat and milk, is also
part of the problem
We need protection In the schools
Some Citeis have taken up the work of
medical Inspection i'm schools. but ii s.
so new that there are not many rec
ords Of results yet One inspector told
me he had found twelve cases among
the children. IN Il little over a year,
and these were discovered accidental
ly. as no microscoplcai examinations
are made, except in unusual cases
Teachers need inspection as we'll
! found two cases where teachers suf-
fered and had been in the classrooms
until within few months Of their
deaths n the disease were measles
and smallpox, action would haze
come
The conditions In slmshouses need
attention. Most institutions make 10
provision for tuberculosis patients
who are housed with the Others
Scores Lack OF Registration,
But most OF Miss WhitneYs vehe
mence IS directed toward the lack Of
registration In the state.
The method of obtaiuin informs
ton on the mortality from tubercl