The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-05-06
MARION COUNTY
LAX |N. WARFARE
0NWH|IEPLAGUE
DR.. Juanita Mcdonald, the
i Agent of State Society
Here.
SHE WIG CONE BACK.
And Seek to Arouse Interest
Z in Anti tuberculosis
Work.

Ninety seven percent Of the children
II West Virginia suffer from tubercu-
.losis az some time in their lives, &C.
cording to the estimate of the West
Virginia Anti.Tuberculosis league. As
every enc knows tuberculosis is the
technica, name for the Great White
Plague known commonly as consump.
ton. Yet despite this enormous per.
centage Of infected children tho work
OF prevention in West Virginia is fai
behind that Of practically every other
state In the Union.
Z. There are the statements OF DR..
Juanita MacFarland. who is the re.
Gently appointed state agent OF the
West Virginia league. DR.. MacFar.
land was secured through the efforts
Of the president OF the West Virginia
society, DR.. w. w. Golden, of Elkins
and is working in cooperation with the
Public Health Council OF West Vir.
ginia which Is the board that assists
and advises withithe State Health Off.
Ger Dr.. Jepson,
DR.. MacFarland was lin Fairmont
>4aAlA6 tn6S paot Wo.uuso anu iSlt touus
for Marttnsburg. After attending the
annual meeting of the National Assoc.
>ation for the Prevention Of Tuberculo.
sis at Washington next week and the
meeting Of the West Virginia Medical
association TO be at Wheeling May II
and IL, Or. MacFarland will return to
Fairmont and complete her work
here. The object of DR.. MacFarland's
work in this state is to investigate the
various branches of the state associa-
ton and determine in what respect
they are deficient and what may be
done to put them on a practical basis.
Completereports have been made from
Mcdowell county and Fayetto county
but owing TO the limited finances OF
the state association this can not be
done IN every county. DR.. MacFarland
has the pawers and authority of the
State Board OF eHalth back OF him to
enforce any regulations she may deem
needed.
As to thesconditlons found in Fair
mont and Marion county the doctor
stated that owing to the lack Of funds
but little had been accomplished to-.
ward the prevention OF tuberculosis.
At Christmas time each year the local
society assists in selling Red Cross
seals and that Is about all that has
been done. "a visiting nurse Is EN-.
ployed here by the society which is
the best feature of the local work.
Miss Duffey Isl the local nurse and has
done considerable good work here.
Mrs. @. o. Henry; is the president Of
the local league and DR.. H. r. John.
son the secretary.
The chief trouble with the local as.
sociation, says DIR. MacFarland, is the
fact that the work does not receive
the active support of the physicians,
brt is left practically in the hands OF
the 1aity. Because OF the fact that
until this spring doctors have not been
required by the West Virginia state
law to report cases of tuberculosis. the
few statistics available as to the
amount Of the disease present arc not
reliable II Is certain. however that
many more are u: be found than have
rbeen reported.
The state association was directly
Irresponsible for the building OF the
|state ssnitarium and hospital for tn.
Iberculosis patients at Terra Alta, by
THE net Of the legislature. and at pres.
TENT this Institution Is filed to capacity
with waiting list Of more than a
hundred which can not be accommo-
dated. From Marion county however
there are fewer cases sent to Terra
EA1ta thar from any other county OF
lcoTTesponding size in West Virginia.
PR MorEar1aY1d "a ~ Al a or,fnia i'm IN,
this Is because the cases are not re.
ported or that the county funds are
mot used in sending poor patients who
ARE unable to pay their own expenses.
The Terra Alta institution contains no
wards for children less than is years
!of age.
OF the 81 per cent OF children that
have tuberculosis a large number re.
cover so that the death rate in West