The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-09

! the segregation Of ccnsumptives In
! advanced stages Of the disease.
There II NOT n sanstcriuna. not a
! single bed. In all the confines of the
Old Domintoa, for negro consump-
| tivea. whether their cases he in-o
! c1ptent or advanced.
There were nearly fear thousand
preventable deaths from tubertu-
Iosis in virGisis last year.
To call Virginia an unnatural mother
sounds too harsh In the ears of people
who think not to see In to dfsbelieve,
Perhaps II Is. but to call her thought
less and negligent Is the truth, n not
the whole truth. Through her legis-
lature she has neglected those suffer
ing from tuberculosis; she has refused
/ to shield others from the danger. BY
! the indifference of her people she has
allowed to die thousands every year
though most Of them could have been
saved She has exposed her sons and
daughters to menace that could be
: removed--not easily. 1t Is true, but by
the expenditure of reasonable sums of
money, by public interest in the work
| and by aid and comfort to the few
awakened souls who have been battling
! strenuously. but almost alone. In
! great social and economic work for
humanity.
/ Appalling Death Rate.
! In 1e13-it is well to repeat-there
were $500 deaths from tuberculosis.
That Is an average of one in eight.
Two-thirds of these were negfoes and
only providence knows how many more
there are at large subjecting all others.
white and colored. to danger OF the
same deadly disease Conservative es-
Inmates make it 10000.
1t is preventable. In less than TWEEN
ty years Great Britain. by taking hold
OF the peoblen in a scientific way.
has reduced the mortality rate from
consumption by two-thirds. Has Vir-
ginia done near as well? knowledge OF
the agencies she has employed leads
straight to a negative answer 1t Will
prove to all that what she has done
could not possibly have ben great In
comparison. -
Catawba Sanatorium is the only State
sanatoriurn for consumptives. 1t has
Just 100 beds. Always there Ia long
waiting list of unfortunates who know
they could be saved could be restored
to health. bodily and mental vigor
had they but chance. There Is none,
The doors of the institution are closed
against them by the Mother state. On
guard she stands. saying:
81 have no room for you. I have no
money to spend for your relief"
She says to those for whom room
may be found later: Il will let you In.
but you must pay me more for helping
you"
There IL no money.
The last General Assembly appro-
nriated for the maintenance of Catawba
| S. 900 less than asked and the authori-
| ties Of the sanatorinm are compelled
! to announce that next year the price
: must be increased from $500 to $500 or
I $3.50.
! Doing q Great Work.
In spite OF the handicap, Catawba
Sanatorium In doing a wonderful work.
Many Of the cases, all incipient, are
discharged as cured. The disease is
arrested in large majority OF cases
and the sick who came for relief are
sent home whole. But there are only
100 treated each year. There is not
( room for more there and there are
thousa nds in the State. What Catawba
does shows US what can be done,
Here in Richmond there is an insti-
tuition for the care of the most ad-
I vanced cases. But IT has only seventy
beds and they are talking of closing
that. Near Roanoke there are two pri-
/ waite sanatoriums doing great wofk,
( but that is all
Where there are i 50 beds to recipient
cases there should be ten and twenty
I times that number. Where there are
seventy beds in n semi public insti-
tuition for advanced cases there should
be hundreds.
In all Virginia there Is not single
/ bed for negro sufferers from the dread
disease, unless there be included those
+ in the State prison and those in the
state Lunatic Asylum. A mentally
whkle. honest negro. without the funds
mist die. That Is all except that
before dying he must transmit his dis
/ ease to some others
The Virginia Anti Tuberculoss So
fciety is doing great work for the
elimination Of preventabie disease.
In cooperation with the state Board
/ OF Health 1t is conducting an educa-
tional campaign throughout the state,
sending speakers to arouse the interest
] OF the people-3with indifferent sue
cess Men from the board of health
aid In this campaign and the board
distributes literature 20 warn ana In
struct the people. At the conference Of
! Virginia educators to be held in Rich
mond during Thanksgiyins week noted
speakers will address the delegates at
what will be called Tuberculosis
Hour"
sale ~ seals.
! The sale of Red Cross Seals Is an
other means OF hshtinE the disease
E. Inc &OFh Oh tNe 3liit 90
cieties in the country Is dependent
I largely upon funds thus secured.
! Thursday, the State Society received
P, zoo. 900 of these seals ia be placed Ola
sale several weeks before Christmas
! and on the morning OF their receipt the
| people could see rolling through the
| streets OF the city an automobile de-
corated With signs carrying these seals
| to the headquarters of the Nurses
Settlement. where they were accepted
f, for distribution. Last year S1.040 was
| realized in Richmond from these sales,
| about half Of which went to Pine Cam D
Sanatorium. and the rest to the aid Of
! Individual sufferers In the city. At least
| $4,000 is wanted from Richmond this
year
! Six dispensaries scattered through
the State help In the work. There are
two in Richmond, one in Roanoke, one
in Danvilie, one In Alexandria. one In
Charlottesville and one In Norfolk. 1t
| 10 their function to discover and keep
supervision over cases of tuberculosis,
seeing to proper sanitation in the
homes and to proper care OF the suf-
ferers.
Ten visiting nurses In Virginia do
their part Five Of these are In Rich
mond, employed by the municipality,
| whilA the others work In various parts