The Appeal., 1915-03-27

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sary deaths among whites were 1898;
among Negroes were SITS.
a high death rate of any race Isl
2n economic loss, and especially is
this true when it comes to Insurance.
This fact has worked a great hard
ship upon the Negro for at every op-
portunity it has been published that
the death rate among Negroes was so
much higher than that of other peo-
pies, and OF course they have not been
generous enough in the same article
to give the reasons. It cannot be de-
MED that, taking it by states, the
Seath rate per thousand is higher
everywhere among Negroes than
among whites.
Forty-nine negroes died in st. Paul
in 1910, an increase of nineteen over
the 1900 figures. The death rate was
15.5 for each 1000 population, against
1873 in 1900.
n 1910; % in 1900. The death rate
was 21.5 in 1910 and 14.2 in 1900, an
increase o f7.3..
The reason for this is obvious to
you.
This Health Day is the beginning
Of an educational campaign to teach
the Negro how to reduce this high
death rate. Fortunately for him, two
great factors are in operation in this
country just now which will go long
way toward helping him. The first is
Prohibition that has gone into effect
in most Of the Southern States which
will result in the Negro having more
money to buy food and clothing. The
second is the National Drug Law
which went into effect March /, 1915.
While neither of these laws were
made solely for the Negro they are
the greatest blessings brought to him
in the last half century.
AS little as you may realize, thou
sands and thousands of Negroes of
this country are addicted to the drug
habit: In many of the cases it has
been brought on unintentionally
through the use of patent medicines,
Let me state here that the Negro is
the greatest user of patent medicines
OF any other race of people,. This
Drug Law prohibits the sale of any
patent medicine in this country con-
tanning any form of narcotic. Most
OF the cough. syrups put up and sold
by druggists contain some form of
narcotic and in the majority of cases,
after these people have taken one or
two bottles Of such syrup, they in
variably find they can not do without
1t and they are always loud in praises
to their friends about "Dr. So-and-
Sos" cough syrup. They would be
very indignant if they were accused
OF being dope fiends but the fact re-
mains that they are
| have had, since the first of March,
even here among colored people, lots
OF complaints about the cough syrups
which had always given relief i'm
mediately. After being without this
remedy for few months they will
realize that their coughs will get we'll
without the syrup and the many dol
lars spent for it can be turned into
some other channel.
There are two things which want
to urge in this address, namely,
ventilation and outdoor exercise. If
there is any one thing the Negro
wants to learn it is ventilation. In all
OF our public gatherings where we con.
| gregate in large numbers, the air is
| so foul that it is an effort to keen
awake and the minute one lowers a
window some one begins to look
around with a frown. I,never go into
public gathering of our people that
| don't realize the need of fresh air
l am making a special appeal tonight
to the ministers of this city to preach
a gospel of ventilation and fresh air.
In former years theologians taught
Saving Grace" only but today the
| theologians teach service and by serv.
ing one can prepare the individual
for useful life in this world, as well
as preparing him for the life to come
If the ministers will go about this
systematically in the homes they visit
and to their congregations they will
not be called so often to visit the sick
and there will be fewer funerals.
What applies to the public places is
lust as annlicable to the homes. They
not only lack ventilation but the little
fresh air which comes through the
cracks is too often shared with one
or two dogs. We need to learn that
living rooms are no places for dogs,
Dogs are subject to the same diseases
% man and can communicate them
as easily.
When entering sick room for the
S~st time. and finding a dog stickine
his head out from under the bed or
lying uron the bed. I at once make
up nv mind that have hard battle
to fight. The extreme along this line
was reached a few years ago in an
exrer1ence of mine of this kind, ]
called to see patient and sat down
bv the he'd. Reaching under the GOV
ers for the patients wrist to take the
'ru'se, to my great surprise I caught
hold of dog which the patient was
tenuerly holding in her arms Nc
one admires dog more than I, bu,
their place is out-of-doors.
NEGROES living in large cities in the
Southern States are dreadfully bandi
capped when it comes to outdoor
exercise. It has only been in recen,
years that the white people of thu
South have risen to the idea of thu
necessity of parks and public play
grounds and they no sooner begin tt
establish them than up goes the sig1
mo niggers allowed" How Negroes
are going to provide parks and play
grounds for themselves with thei,
limited means is beyond nv compre
henston. and vet these things are jus
as necessary as food and clothing. II
the North where these places are pro
vided US, I regret to say we do no,
take advantage Of them as we should
In going to parks and lakes in sum
mer on Sundays. and holidays, it Il
noticeable how few colored people
1 you see
Our churches would be serving ;
good purpose If they would organize
this summer park and outdoor club,
and take advantage of every oppor
tunity to visit the different parks. A
! few OF the women could get together