The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1916-06-03
POVERTY AND TUBERCULOSIS.
Economic Conditions a Factor j,
Spread Of Great White Plaque.

Eeonousic Conditions Factor :,
Spread Of Great White Plague,
| Poverty and herculosis--t,,hes,
culosis and poverty! These are tn.
essential facts which force themselve,
to the attention Of every investigator
who faces the problem Of that disease
| The tenement house district of Gin.
cinnati yields q tuberculosis morbid
ity just three times as great as the
| areas where better housing prevails
In 1877 families in which tuberculosis
! existed the average monthly income
for family of four was approximate.
" $57 After paying the pro. rata
share for food and rent, a balance OF
S5.13 remained for each individual to
meet all other expenses. Such a low
subsistence level works like black
magic in the spread of tuberculosis.
Moreover, and this Is point which
the public should ponder, the home
Of the average wage Garner was found
te be far less sanitary than the aver
age factory and workshop. In re-
gard to all the factors which make far
healthful living, ventilation, sufficient
light, proper temperature, and free
dom from overcroWding, the score
WAS iii favor of the factory in nearly
every instanee.
The city of Cincinnati realized that
her tuberculosis death rate was SO
per cent above the average and that
it had failed 10 manifest a tendency
to decline. She felt no qualms in
making this admission. Rather. She
determined that she would learn why,
with an efficient health department
and favorable climatic Influences. she
was suffering from twice the mortal
ity from that disease as her neighbor
Pittsburg. Accordingly the United
States Public Health Service was re-
quested to make q thorough study of
the situation and submit d report. To
show that something more than mere
academic interest obtained. 1899
workers in 154 factories of the city
voluntarily submitted TO physical
examination.
The conclusions reached point. di-
rectly to the close connection between
poverty and tuberculosis. The great
factor underlying tie entire problem
was Seemingly that af economic con-
ditions. One-sixth of all tuberculosis
eases came from cheap lodging houses.
Alcoholism was prominent cause.
and often accelerated the course Of
the disease. Oceunational hazards
and bad Warking conditions were an
parently responsible for about 90 Der.
cent of the cases, bslE id the majority
of instances these hazards were not
necessarily inherent III the oeeupa-
ton. Previous tuin sulosis III the.
family occurred ii practically d third.
of All the cases hi, asiisgated. Dis
slpatIon oyereFoWEa : ase..g housing,
and issrss L II
bility, We're also listed d u eatlsss.
An interesting feature Of the re-
port, and one which has not previous
" been dwelt upon III studies Of this
character. relates to the effect Of i'm
migration and the rate Of growth Of
the population Of a city upon the tu-
berculasis death rate 1t is shown
that cities with population COM
posed largely Of racial stock having a
limited resistance to tuberculosis are.
subject to high mortality rate from
that disease, while centers having a
slow rate of population increase are
likewise subject to q high tuberculosis
rate. The evidence is submitted in
a comparative table covering sixteen
American cities. Almost without ex-
ception those with a high percentage
OF Irish, Scandinavian and German