The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-18

- tifci ~ ~ mans, ana MS NFaT. the
great mass Of intelligent public sent
iment of the state that The good hour
may DE FASTENED when no sufferer
from tuberculosis may be neglected.
when there shall be not one but as
many Catawhas as may be required
10 handle the cases which NAV de-
Velop. with the people of every com
munlty so interested and enthused
IN the work OF health and life v
ing that no case or tuberculosis shall
be permitted to pass its inc1piency
without every effort being made that
science and sNspathetic attention can
make to save the affected individuals
l.fe
New National Army.
An interesting feature Of the report
Is that descriptive Of the depart
ments attitude toward the problem
Wh1ch the physical examinations Of
thousands OF men for the new ma
tional army created It was felt thar
Turh examinations would necessarily
reveal = large number OF tubercu-
losid cases, and such steps were taken
az a branch Of the government which
h@d no emergency fund to draw upon
couId take. However, before the
matter had progressed to anv con
siderable extent the provost rshgf
general ruled that local exenptio7
boards would not only not he encour-
aged 10 supply TO the health author
Ties the names OF affected persons
examined by them. but that under
army regulations they were forbid
den so TO do. The report closes the
reference to this matter with the
words: Thus at the very outset OF
u most important indeed n1oat
vital enterprise. the door Of service
Vas closed in our faces"
In another part of the report ref
ertnce is made 10 the prevalence IN
european armies of tuhercuiar trou-
h!es accentuated by exposures trcl-
dent TO trench warfare and the nee
e7s,'y ie pointed cut for prompt care
ann adequate treatment for such or
our own soldiers as may deveIoo
tuberculosis in the service Of their
country.
one Of the most interesting fea-
oy the report Is the account giva,,
or the experimental drive against TN.
berc ulos's made In Norfolk county
beginning in February and closing
( IN June of 1917, the campaign hay-
ing Tor its object such demonstra-
tlon OF the seriousness OF the tuher-
tuIosis situation as the peopla yyoul1
Understand. and 10 bring under treat-
t1eht those who through Ignorance
/ OF their own condition or through
hePiect were not taking steps to va 10
Euard their own health ur 10 r1Jar3
from injecting those with whom tbev
came In contact
1his campaign was under tbe
charee Of Miss Agnes n RandolDn
/ executive secretary of the Virgfnia
/ Antl-Tuberculosfs assoc iatfon. which
nody ma" properly he described ~
the good right arm OF the atata do
/ rartment Of health, IN so FAR az IN
fNTculosis work in Virginia is con-
Z 'eTned Norfolk county was select
ed tecausee ii presented 4 tyniral
field for work of the characte~ pro-
. rcFed Its mortality from the white
FiaGue' was large, it had lis hons.
/ ing problem, and it's negro popula-
! ton furnished a fertile field for the
( disease The results achieved au,
J rhasize the value OF such cananaiyna
! in every community uncoverlne a.
they do unsupported aud nee1at,tad
( Ct ses in large number and inform
!nE the public both as 10 the naces
! siFy for treatment and the equally
essential preventive measures, II the
spread OF he disease is 10 be check
ed.
Work in Norfolk County.
tb 4 rev NoFus mere Is what va
accomplished in Norfolk county A
survey as compierp as possible Win
the facilities II hand WIS made,
numerous public meetings were held,
genera public interest was aroused.
and twenty-five clinics were given.
hIofc than ZOO persons presented
themselves for examination and 1870
were exa mined FOR tuberculosis. OF
THIS number eighty-two or As per
cont were classified by expert dag.
Eosticians as tuberculous.
IN a majority of these cases those
80 classified did not suspect that they
We're suffering from tuberculosis ard
but Tor such examinations would
doubtless have gone on unti' there
WA no hope for their own lives. al
the same time spreading the disease
a fact brought out was the almost
complete lack of knowledge as TO pre-