Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1920-08-14
HEALTH SURVEY OF
 STATE COMPLETED

direction of the State Board of Health and the Arizona Anti-Tuberculosis Association has revealed condition of congestion in some of the larger towns and of proximity of children to tuberculosis and other communicable diseases almost unbelievable in their extent. This is set forth in an article appearing in the current issue of the Bulletin just published by the State Board of Health. Mr. T. c. Cuvel Her, who is in charge of this work found housing conditions among the poorer families of Phoenix and Tue son fully as bad as any he has seen in his wide experience in the tene- ment districts of New York and other large centers of population. Many families were living, eating, sleeping and cooking in the same room with scores of them crowded into a single block or group of dwellings opening on common court. In many of these cases children were found living in the same room as persons afflicted with positive cases of tuberculosis. In many cases filth and flies contri- buted to the general squalor and un- healthiness of the surroundings.
 The object of these surveys may be stated as follows:
 1-To determine the housing condi- tions with especial reference to con gestion.
 2-To ascertain the number of cas- es where children are in close proxi- mity to cases of positive pulmonary tuberculosis or other communicable diseases.
 3-To ascertain the household sur roundings with reference to the prox- imity of stables, garbage Repositories and other fly-breeding spots.
 4-To investigate the water supply and trace the origin of pollution.
 5-to prepare accurate records of all cases of sickness during the past year and at the same time with the idea of being able to point out the need of permanent public health nurse for every community.
 6-To point out the need of estab- fishing free clinics about which the work of the public health nurse would center.
 7-To ascertain the sanitary condi- tions of stores, restaurants, hotels and soda fountains.
 Phoenix was the first point of at tack in the establishment of the free clinic system. A trial demonstration clinic handled scores of cases and the data obtained together with that se- cured in the general health survey of the community have been invaluable. A similar clinic has just been conclud- ed at Tucson, one has just been open ed at Prescott and Morenci, as a ty- pical mining camp with large foreign population will be next on the list.
 As showing the scope of the survey work, MT. Cuvellier gives some facts and figures on the recent Tucson sur vey and clinic which are truly illum- mating.
 A house to house canvass was made by the public health nurses in charge of the campaign, taking in the poorer congested districts and some of the tuberculosis colonies. A total of 969 positive cases of pulmonary tubercu- losis was discovered. In addition there were 570 persons from 45 states and territories, who had come to Tue son following influenza conditions which did not clear. MT. Cuvellier says it is safe to say that a majority of these are tubercular. Added to this were 1OS cases of persons who had come to find relief from past pneumonia conditions, many of whom may have incipient tuberculosis. There were also reported 139 cases of asthma and 76 cases of bronchitis, the symptoms of which are similar to pull monary tuberculosis.
 There has been a general impress sion that the white plague in this State has been confined to the Mexi- can population largely. This is dis proven by the fact that of the 96O positive cases reported in Tucson 726 were of white Americans and only 1O6 of Mexicans with the remainder scat tered among other foreigners.
 One of the most alarming things revealed was the fact that there were 1OS7 children of school age and un- der living in intimate association with positive tuberculosis patients. Of the 22 cases of tuberculosis among chil- dren examined in the clinic in each case it was found that the child was living in close quarters with some other person afflicted. Thirty fami- lies were found eating, sleeping and cooking in the same room, where there were adult positive cases of tu- berculosis. Fourteen families with tuberculosis in the family were found living in two rooms and IS families similarly affected living in three rooms. One case was found of fam lily of eight persons living in one room with an advanced case of tuberculo- sis. The boy patient was removed to hospital. Practically 50 per cent Of families Iivipo in oop poactoJ o,,or