The Monroe journal., 1916-12-12
TUBERCULOSIS SUNDAY
Many Sermons Were Preached About
the Dread Disease - MIR. White
Gives Figures and Conclusions
Medical Inspection of schools
Needed.

Fresh air. damp air. nor cold air
will hurt you; you people don't take
enough exercise" was the admoni-
ton Rev. l.. NJ. White gave his con-
gregation at the First Baptist church
Sunday evening when he delivered a
sermon on tuberculosis.
Sunday was Tuberculosis Day"
all over the country, and all pastors
had been requested TO use as their
subject something dealing with the
Great White Plague. DR.. Quincy.
although he did not preach a special
sermon on this subject. made a few
remarks about il at the Presbyterian
church. and Rev. j. E. Abernethy
will devote his next Sunday evening S
sermon to the matter entirely.
You people" said Rev. Mr.. White,
will probably leave here tonight
thinking that my advice is for the
other fellow and not for you. Yet.
I'll venture to say. although | hope
ii will not come true, that anywhere
from five to ten OF you will meet
death from tuberculosis unless you
take preventive measures"
The speaker chose his text from
Luke 10. 1896, which is the story OF
the traveller who, on being robbed and
beaten. was left on the roadside to
die. but how he was saved by the
kindness of the Good Samaritan, who
took him TO hotel and had his
wounds dressed. The inference drawn
from this chapter by the speaker was
Am | my Brothers Keeper" Not
only should We inform ourselves as
to the nature and terror of tubercu-
losis in order to keep ourselves free
from the disease. but that our family
and friends might also be saved from
the terrible death.
tuberculosis Statistics.
Rev. Mr.. White quoted the follow
ing statistics. which were gathered
by leaders in the medical world:
l. tuberculosis kills 100000 per-
sons in the United States every year.
2. II kills one-tenth to one-seventh
OF all our people.
8. 1t kills one-third of all our peo-
pie who die between the ages of is
and As.
4. 1t costs in dollars and cents
over $500. 100000 in loss of labor
and life to the United States.
5. Not less than 100000 people
in the United States, IL is estimated,
now suffer from the dreadful disease
6. More men die of tuberculosis
than women
Z. Death rate of negroes Is three
times that of the whites.
But the death rate is steadily de-
creasing due to the interest the peo-
pie are manifesting in its eradication.
In 1904 the tuberculosis death rate
was 200 per 1000, but in 1914, ten
years later, ii had dwindled to lac.
Consistent campaigns are waged con-
tinuously. stated the speaker, to
combat the disease. One of the most
noteworthy of these charitable en-
terprises is that of the American Red
Cross. Christmas seals. to provide
revenue for the fight that this in
stitution is waging, are being sold In
Monroe this year, and the speaker
urged his audience to buy them liber-
ally.
II is true that there are but few
cases of tuberculosis in Monroe, but
Rev. Mr.. White pictured such horri-
BILE circumstances surrounding a re-
cent case, that none of his audience
would care to have repetition of ii
in their own neighborhood, much less
in their own immediate family. He
said that he had call to go to see
young girl who was suffering from
the malady. When he managed to
find the house, the speaker said he
was shocked TO find such filth as sur
rounded that house. When he went
into the house he found il much
worse; so much that ii stifled him to
fbeathe the air. He shook hands
with the little sick girl. who was then
near the point of death. and asked
her If anyone else slept in the room
with her. YES" she said. three of
my brothers and sisters sleep in that
bed over there In the corner" Mr..
White said he was shocked, especial
ly at the untidiness and filth of every
thing. The sick child was even fore
ed to expectorate on the floor and ia
BILE.
The cure OF consumption depends
entirely on the checking of II in its
first stages. Secondary symptoms,
said the speaker, are colds, loss
of appetite. loss of weight, night
sweats. tired. rundown feeling. ris-
ing temperature in the afternoon, and
the splitting of blood. II any of these
symptoms are in evidence make haste
to see doctor. advised Mr.. White.
Better STILL" he continued, make
II practice OF letting some member
of the medical profession make a
thorough examination of your physi-
cal being at least once year"
The best preventive treatment, not
only of consumption, but for every
other disease. is exercise. said the
preacher. Monroe men," he averr-
red, do not take enough exercise to
maintain their body in 100 per cent
shape. They go to their stores early
in the morning and there they are
confined until after dark These are
the men who succumb rapidly TO the
disease when II gets start. The tu-
berculosis baccilli. one might say.
constantly strives for foothold from
the day of birth on. Some manage to
thwart the disease. but many fail.
your schools are not properly
ventilated" he said. Il went out