The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-08-12
UNCLE SAM TO
 FIGHT AGAINST WHITE PLAGUE
Has Peace Time Conflict With Appalling Casualty
 List Facing Him.
NATIONWIDE PLAN
 TO COMBAT SCOURGE
Statistics Show That This Disease Takes 150,O0O
 Lives Annually.

New York. City August 12.- ] Uncle sam has hung out hiss NJ. D. [ shingle again.
 | Finishing up ore great war, he ! finds himself involved in another-a ' war against the white plague, a ! peace-time conflict with an appalling
 casually list, large percentage of | which is needless.
 1 Final tabulation of the draft reject ! slips just ccnapleted shows that 69, ,0c0
 men were rejected when called for | service in the National Army because
 medical examination showed they had
 tuberculosis.
 Approximately 10000 were dis
 charged from army camps for the
 same reason. Moro than 5000 still
 in service are cared for in the [ arfny's special tuberculosis hos | pitals.
 Thus one disease robbed the Gov
 ernnent at a timo of critical emer-
 gency of more 1olGiers than would comprise three divisions.
 Tne Influenza epidemic has contrib uted heavy toll in an aftermath of tuberculosis among soldiers and civil lans alike. Influenza greatly reduces physical vitality and opens the way for active tuberculosis.
 These war time revelations have opened the eyes of health a1thoritias : 10 the serious menace of the white pIague confronting the country. a sit uat!on which. they say, calls for i'm mediate and concerted action.
 A nationwide plan for combst,,z tne scourge, which statistics of tbe Nauonal Tuberculosis Assoc,,4tn', snow takes 15o,oo0 lives annualiv mas boon outlined by public and nri. Vate organiza tions
 one measure especially urged fs the establishment of a 6tvt.to, tuberculosis as a part of +ba oI health service, a bill for wbicb Ia Deen introduced into Congress h., Senator France. ny
 UT. David R. Lyman or vv,u,u .oro' conn, ex-president of the Ne lionai Tuberculosis Association +a11z with great 1nroads chronic dIsoa. are making In the national econoroIN
 department of Public ueaItb ne says should be estab1isbaa ; Washlnstcn to take equal rank y,+l, other great activities of the Gove-n
 1h| instead of the nations health Oelhg considered of minor ,,,n. issue of the Treasury Den,-t1, sue
 One of the greatest victor;a. the war was the triumph of n,c,ior- medicine :n the control os ac1,+a i- tectlous diseases, but even preatn cement will result from the avst-a,, ca public conscience on tbe s,Ib+oa. of health." uoJect
 III cooperation with the Sureeo, teneraPs office, the National rrN1I culosis Association has assumed A. burden of caring for the 60 ono s,-e Ierers turned back into civil life t,, me dratt boards and the 20 ooo -o Jected at the camps. This will he oc- cornphshed through 1,5O0 State and .oai anu-tuoerculosis organizations aliiiiateo with it. Six hundred sana- able. avail
 These institutions are numer,c.,,- inadequate to i'll the deToan.d, Aas .t1ay Will be made upon them. The nc uonal program calls for addIt,oro, sanatoria and hospitals in everv 9Iate' es well as dispensary and clinic care. N-iiiio
 1he minimum requirements for new sanatorium facilities call for at least twice as many beds as there arc deaths annually. This is a conserva- tive figure, for scientific tnyesttpatio,, mas shown that there should be eight times as many beds as there a-a oeaths, if all tuberculosis patients arc 10 be cared for properly. This means at least 3O0,000 beds, six times the number now available.
 The importance of centralized cor, trol by government and volunteer organizations Is emphasized by Dr I B. Lloyd of the United States Public Health Service. Referring to the mag nitude of the tuberculosis problem Dr. Lloyd says the building of a Pan anna Canal was only a days work in | comparison with the eradication of | tuberculosis.
 Why more centralized control 2" Dr. Lloyd was asked Because at 1 present there are many Government | departments. national, State and local each working in it's own way on | this problem" he said. The same is true or benevolent orga nizattons Fra | ternal bodies and life insurance com i pantes also are applying measures or their own. No doubt there is a dun Ecation of work; no doubt there are | some that are not accomplishing any, thing.
 "A permanent bureau of tuberculo ! sis would provide for the correlation of the activities of all organizations and departments cr the Government , engaged in this field, thereby contri- buting greatly to efficiency and eco- nomy,
 Anywhere from 75 per cent to 90 per cent. of all persons living in civilized commodities become infect ed with tuberculosis before the age of 16. The greater part of these, If properly fed, clothed and housed, will be able to restst the infection through life crd may develop symptoms. A few might develop active symptoms and die of the disease under the most conditions, but most of the