The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1919-09-05
PLANS FIGHT ION
WHITE PLAGUE
Government to Take Leading
Part in National Program.
.ez,oooREJEcTED E0RyARMY
Figures Revealed In TabuIation Of
Draft Reject Slips Arouses officials
to Necessity Of Taking Vigorous
Action to Stamp Out TubereuIosis-
Over Million Active Cases in coun.
try-f5o,ooo Deaths q Year.

Alarmed by the loss of man power
caused by tuberculosis during the
war, Uncle Sam is polishing up the
M. D., which is among the many let
ters that follow his name, and prepar-
ing to take a leading part in the na-
tlOnal program for The prevention OF
the disease.
Final tabulatiOn of the draft reject
slips, just completed, reveals: Sixty
two thousand men were rejected when
called for service In the National army
because medical examination showed
they had tuberculosis.
Another 10000 men were discharged
at army camps for the same reason.
Six thousand, still in service, are
now being cared for in the army's
special tuberculosis hospitals.
AS these figures show, the govern
ment, ut q time of q great national
emergency was robbed of the services
of approximately enough men for five
army divisions by the ravages Of this
one disease. But this Is not all, for,
although progress has been made in
the control of the disease during the
last ten years, 1t still Is the cause Of
10000 deaths annually in this cOrn-
try, and as scientific investigation has
shown, Tor every death from the dis
ease there are eight active cases.
1900 600 cases in United States.
This indicates that at the present
time there are in the United States Mt
least 100000 active cases of the
white plague.
At the annual meeting of the Na-
,tional tuberculosis association in At.
lantic City, June Ia to II, federal,
state and local public health authOri-
ties outlined coordinate national
plan Of battle against the disease.
one result of this, it Is expected, will
be the creation of Il division of tuber-
culOsis. In the United States public
health service, a bill for which will
soon be introduced.
y Already, as the gOvornment's first
step In, protecting the natiOn's health
during the Reconstruction era, the
United States public health service
has been, authorized to provide free
hospital care, for soldiers and sailors
suffering from, tuberculosis, hOnOrably
dischargedIo on or after October g, 1917.
These patients will be treated in gov
ernment sanitarinms.
Caring for $4,000 Sufferers.
The even gravet problem of caring
for the 85OO0 sufferers who were
turned bnck info civil life by the draft
boards has been assumed by the Ma
tlonal tuberculosis association In co
operation with the surgeon generals
office, through 1000 state and Local
societies which are affiliated with the
national association, and some COZ
sanitariums and 500 dispensaies are
already available for the work.
The situation Is so serious, how
ever, that the national program calls
for hospital and sanitarlum provision
In every state In the Union that vii
provide, as minimum, ut least two
beds for. every annual death, as wei
as dlspensary and clinic care so that
every man, woman and child In the
state who has tuberculosis, or thinks
he has 1t, or who may have been ex
posed to 1t In any way, can secure free
advice and treatment or treatment al
moderate expenses.