Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1921-12-23
THE TUBERCULOSIS SITUATION IN
CHARLES COUNTY.

An article in the Sunday Sun, OF De-
cembcr 18th, regarding the menace Of
tuberculosis existing among thecolored
race Of Virginia ana its effects upon
the community as "A whCl5, very APPLY
and lorcibiy tells the same tale con-
corning the entire population of South
ern Maryland, particularly the couu-
ties OF Charles and st. Mary's, where
the negro represents at least 30 per
cent OF the residents.
Father Charles Hannigan, priest in
charge OF the CHURCH Of st. Peter
Clavier, for cOlore1 people, on Free
mont avenue, BALTIMORE, who has come
10 the Monumental City alter % years
Of service among that race In Virginia,
has this to say in the arsicle mentioned
above
Thc white peop9e in town are
very apt to think mat if the fronts of
their houses are 100 per cent. clean,
they are all rigtt and perfectly secure
from epidemics. Half of the time they
know nothing about their kitchen
doors, nor VINO passes in or out of
them.
.'As an illustration Of this fact, let
me tell sou OF an incident that hap
pened while was in Virginia A ply
stefan ia Suffolk county discovered
one day thai his lovely daughter,
about 4 years old, who had been all
ing, had o serious case of tuberculosis.
She had inherited no tendency to the
disease and in tracing the cause OF her
infection the doctor finally found that
the eoiored girl WHO mad been his
daughters nurse while an infant, later
died from consumption and that four
generations OF the nurses family had
died OF the same disease in the same
house.
Tho disease germ had lain dormant
in the sick girls system for all those
years. until for some reason, she be-
came rundown, when it became active
and in her weakened condition soon
made serious inroads upon her eonsti-
tuition.
after the discovery OF the number Of
cases OF tuberculosis. following each
other in The one negro nome. the city
authorities made a survey Of the health
conditions IN the negro section and the
result proved to be appalling.
tuberculosis honeycomed then.
People found that the laundress
who washed their clothes in her home,
attended dying tuberculosis patient
between times. They found that their
COOKS, their buffers in fact, all their
servants were constantly exposed to
the Injection.
III was then that the project for
founding a sanitorium for colored peo-
pie i'll with tuberculosis was born and
the hne big one at Piedmont was the
result Of tue agitation.
n ~ haf A
aroused al the condition OF things and
helped raise the money for it, The
bill Tor it. carrying an appropriation,
was passed by the Virginia Legislature
without que stion ana now the Virginia
negro has no hesitation in reporting
the case, for he knows that il his rel l.
tive is taken to this hospital he will be
in comfortable building, splendidly
located and equipped, where he will re-
ceiye plenty OF nuIriclous food and the
the treatment that, taken in time, may
restore him to health. =
All that Fir. Hanuigan says OF con-
ditions IN Virginia, applies with equal
force and truth TO every county in
Maryland in which negroes live, yet,
notwithstanding these facts, there is
not one hospital or sanatorium in the
State where colored person suffering
with tuberculosis can receive treat
ment
1t is time that citizens Of Southern
Maryland, regardless Of racial dis
tincuons or political parties, should
wake up, realize the tremendous i'm
portance of this condition, then get to-
gether and demand action from tina in-
coming Legislature OF 1922.
There has been twenty-one cases oil
tuberculosis reported during 1921 by
Charles County physicians, eleven OF
them colored, and ten, white. IL has
been estimated by experts that every
reported case represents nine unre-
ported cases, which would give around
one hundred aud eighty-nlne cases in
the county and in population OF
arOunell l,Uy0 persons.
1t IS NOT so much the actual number
of cases, which is alarming, but the
fact that il IS almost impossible to Sc
cure proper sanitary conditions for
colored patients. living as SO many do,
in abnoimally crowded homes, unable
To obtain proper food, and in many
cases unable 10 pay for medical at.en-
tion and advice.
10 start movement to secure hos
pital Tor colored patients suffering
IRON tuberculosis, there will be a pub
lie neoti-g in the own Hall, La Plata,
the night of January 7th, and if proper
support is given, the legislative repre-
senIatives OF Charles County Will be
petitioned 70 introduce a bill asking
Tor the necessary funds.