Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-22
GE D R GAS
GREAT WHITE
PLAGUE TOLL
1000 YEARLY
Survey by the RaouI Foundation
Finds $4,000 Cases in State,
Unfortunately Scattered in
Mountains, Cities and Plains.

Miss Jessamine Whitney, pleas
ant Young woman. who just has COM
Melted a survey of Georgia for the
Raoul Foundation, studying the prev
alence of tuberculosis, has a very
grim and unpleasant story to tell of
what she found.
tuberculosis is everywhere in the
State" she said Saturday, "as impair
TALLY and as thickly scattered over
every section as salt and pepper is
scattered by a shaker.
There is some work done here and
there in Georgia against the spread
of the disease and its ravages. but so
little as to be practically negligible;
so that the death rate from tubercu-
losis in Georgia is higher, much high
er. than the average in States where
registration yecords have been OBJ
tanned"
Miss Whitney estimates that there
we're 5000 to 5000 deaths from tuber-
culosis in the State last year, and that
between $4,000 and $4,000 sufferers are
in Georgia to-day. 1t will be the
nrincipal mission of the Raoul Foun-
dalton, as she explained it, to prevent
the spread of the disease, considering
each infected person as a source Of
contamination.
No Records Kept.
Everywhere Miss Whitney went in
the course of investigation she was
baffed by the lack of officials records.
There is no registration law in Geor-
gia. and consequently no definite In
formation anywhere. In every place
she found an ignorance concerning
true coalitions because no records had
ever been kept. From physicians in
the smaller places, from undertakers,
nurses, sections and even from old
residents of some villages she was
forced to acquire her figures, SO that
the estimated death rate of 1870 to the
100000 is probably an extreme mimi
mum, which might be made higher by
substantial records, she thinks.
at is generally the belief that Sec
tons in which there are few or no
negroes are affected less by the dis
ease than those where the colored
population is heavy" she remarked.
This is not the case, however, in
Georgia. There was little difference
between sections, | found, and the
disease fiourishes in the white coun-
ties of mountainous North Georgia
as well as in the cotton beltamong
the negroes"
The survey included seventeen cities
Of the State and three counties. The
counties chosen for investigation were
typical of Georgia's varied interests.
one of them a white mountain county.
another a cotton belt county, and the
other a pine-and -turpentine county.
In both the cities and the counties.
Miss Whitney said, there was q grim
consistency and regularity Of disease
occurrence.
THE first work that must be done"
she said, 'is to acquaint the public
with a few salient facts concerning
tuberculosis, of which they seem
ignorant--that it is preventable. that
II is curabfe IN the early stages. that
every sufferer is a source of infection,
and must be careful, and that a suf-
ferer should not hesitate in going to
a doctor with the first symptoms.
Sufferers Are FataIistic.
There is strange impression
among a great many people. that
tuberculosis is an act of Providence,
10 be accepted as fatality, to be es-
capped or not, according to the whims
) Of fate, and not. to be disclosed to
physicians. Many sufferers actually
! are ashamed of their disease, ais IL
~ were secret blight, and do not
/. go to. physicians, are not careful of
their associations, and thus infect
: close relatives.
There is need of more sanatoria
In Georgia, for treatment and isolation
of tuberculosis patients, and OF dis
pensaries for instruction and treat
ment of sufferers in incipient stages.
The work that Is planned will be the
organization of the State by means
of communities or counties as units,
80 that each may establish its means
of treatment, care and instruction.
Thus Georgia may be dotted from end
70 end with sanctuaries."
Foundations Plan.
This, as she announced it. will be
he plan of action to be observed by
ne Raoul Foundation in Georgia, an
action made possible by the bequest
Of W. @. Raoul, wealthy Albanian,
Who provided means for comprehen-
sive fight against tuberculosis in the
State.