The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-12
TUBERCULOSIS GAIN
ONE WAR SEQUEL
Red Cross Plans Drive to Get
S7,000,00O With Which
to Fight It.
1T WILL SELL sT1oKERs
First Step Is to Have Physical
Examination to Uncover
Hidden Troubles.

Physicians predict an Increase In
tuberculosis in the United States as one
result of the war; and they expect this
increase to be especially among women.
In normal times more men than women
die of the White Scourge. but the I'M
usually heavy work done by SO many
OF the sex In munitions factories and in
taking the place OF men on railways,
farms &C., has drained the strength Of
many in a way that leaves them pecu-
liarly susceptible to tuberculosis.
For this reason the National Tuber-
culosis Association plans an energetic
campaign to sell $1,000, 900 worth of the
Red Cross tuberculosis stickers at
Christmas time--those little stickers
which were so familiar to the public
every Christmas holiday until 1918,
when the Red Cross allotted $4,000, 900
of the money brought by its last drive to
the work of combating this disease.
Two or three millions would fall far
short Of what Is needed to carry on the
campaign which Donald b, Armstrong
NJ. D., executive officer OF the Framington
Community Health and tuberculosis
Demonstration of the NJ T. A., deems
necessary next year II the 100000 ac-
to exist In the United Safes are not to
be doubled. The budget for the coming
ear is more than $4,000, 900, and $1,000
600 is needed to cover It.
Examination First Step.
DR.. Armstrong gave out a statement
yesterday at the Office Of the N. T. A.,
ISL Madison avenue. after he had at
tended an executive meeting of the Met
ropolitan Life Insurance Company on
the work at Framington. The 100000
which this company contributed three
years ago for experimental work on the
prevention of tuberculosis and which
was mainly expended in the Framington
demonstration station is now about gone,
but Pennington itself has been reused
to the extent of paying out about 81 per
capita in the effort to make itself
healthier. and DR.. Armstrong hopes that
the same rousing process will go on
there and elsewhere.
what is the next step in the fight
against tuberculosis?' he was asked
yesterday.
1.-The next step is the first STEP" he
replied. 1.-THE next step is examination.
Many a man and woman walking about
now in the supposed possession of at
least tolcrable health Is really diseased.
Generally some prayentaDle disease. III
we can get these people to submit to
physical examination. that will be the
flrst step toward treatment and the ar
resting of the disease. That was the
great effect in Framington, and the
death rate there has been reduced from
an average of 121 deaths per 100. 900
persons In 1916, 80 per 100000 in 1917,
79 per 100000 in 1918 to rs per 100. 900
in 1919 up to now
"Framington, a town Of 1900 popula-
ton near Boston, was selected for this
experiment because II was considered a
typical American town 1t has about 20
per cent. foreign born and is an indus
trial town, with its proportion of con-
gested districts. 1t is like a cross Sec
ton of a busy manufacturing city. In
the two years and six months since IL
was selected 10000 persons there have
submitted to physical examination. Five
thousand, with the usual American dis
like of any interference in personal af-
fairs have refused so FAR to be exam
ined, and there is to be a campaign to
bring them in and make Pennington a
100 per cent. physical examination COM
munity.