The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-09-20
DIR. EAVES SPEAKS ON TUBERCULOSIS
 CONDITIONS HERE
To the Editor of The Age-Herald.

To the Editor of The Age-Herald.
 Accept the thanks of this association Tor all you can do to fix attention on the tuberculosis situation in this city. county and state. For ten years we nave been telling the people that be- meath the apparently smiling features i Of our fair city is a boiling cauldron or anguish, disease, death, humiliation and despair. Hardly a day goes bv without some new horror coming to our notice, at least as grim and ghast- " as that of the poor negro woman whom your representative depicted in words of flame.
 must add our intense regret that l the employe of the Humane Society. who is said to have been busy in the interest of the sufferer, either could Tot recognize a case of tuberculosis Tn Its final stage or that, in spite of that picture of our dispensary, with address and telephone number. hanging in the city hall elevator. which he uses daily. he did not know where or how to reach us. I have, however, no of ficial proof that the trouble was tuber- oulosis. It may have been pellagra or something else.
 Further, I am informed that Miss Ragland, the missionary of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, gave re- lief as soon as asked, and that the ne-
 
 woman had been giving food and help from the day of her arrival: also that 9 negro physician had already visited the case.
 Moreover, we have a staff of four nurses busy in Birmingham and it's en- virons constantly trying to discover unreported cases of tuberculosis Is it not distressing to find that the negroes who have this disease in their persons, their families or their neighbors, are woefully slow in bringing such cases ; to otsr attention, that available steps may be taken? Not half our dispensary cases are negroes though they supply relatively the greater number of deaths.
 But the truth goes deeper still We have little satisfaction in dealing with those nearly dead, promptly as we fol- low up and care for these. You and and the public know now that preven- ton is better than cure and that the discovery of foci of infection is as i'm portant as hospital or other provisions for the sick
 The hunt for such as are sick and are spreading the disease is called Survey work" Why should we not have a thorough survey of Birmingham at regular intervals? The answer is 'in- sufficient funds" But when we asked the people of Jefferson county last
  When. in July, we sent out letters ask ing for S15,000 we received less than one-fourth of that sum. But in each case We asked only for what we need ed and it isn't my loss, nor yours. but the loss of everyone when the work to be done can't be done because the great majority of the people shut up their pockets and their hearts, along with their civic pride and let the whole grow moldy with disuSe
 I think MT. Brockman for his gen. erous reference to this association. lie knows the work at first hand and can truly estimate it's reach and value. What I would ask of you is the loan , of your talented Miss Bethea, that she may compel the public, all the public. to know the facts, and to understand that the time to help is before the sick are dying.
 This, however, to conclude: The tu- berculosis hospital which is needed, will contain 250 beds both races being cared for, and the way to get it is to secure the sale of county bonds on such terms as can be arranged, but to sell them, and to vote enough of such bonds to secure the construction and maintenance of the projected institu- tion. Our association can take care of the early cases, but the advanced, th4 most dangerous to the community, the | most ueptHutnl, the most HelpleSS, aFS a great host, white as well as negro.
 Red Mountain sanatorium hardly be- gins to meet their cry. We have no; ceased to work for the hospital though we are waiting until bonds can be sold as well as voted The cost will be great, but not so great as the cost of not having a hospital. May add that l am still looking for the means to send to q boarding school one boy who has got well at RsG mountain? He is 12 years old. Also one lovely girl of IT, Why not send them to public school. Because it IS wiser otherwise. Thanking you for many helping hand. Yours.
 GEORGE EAVES, Secretary Anti-tuberculosis Association
 of Jefferson County
 Birmingham. September 20, 1920.