The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-10
PROGRESS SHOWN. IN GREAT FIGHT
 ON TUBERCULOSIS
Expert Points To De. crease In Death Rate
 In Southern States

Enforcement of anti-spitting ordi- nances and increased efforts to teach children in the public schools to brush their teeth daily, has been largely re- sponsible for the steady decrease in the death rate from tuberculosis in the southern states, according to Dr. Ralph < E. Barnes of Jacksonville, Fla, presi- dent of the Southern Tuberculosis as- sociation and executive secretary of : the Florida Public Health. association,
 who is in Birmingham attending meet ing of the executive committee of the association to arrange the program for the conference to be held in Birming- ham,, October IA and 15.
 .Work among school children has been especially productive of good re- suits" announced Dr. Barnes, "and wherever this work has progressed in proportion to the number of children ip the schools, there has been clear evidence of decrease in the death rate. The work of the modern health crusade, which is one, of the big activities of the National Tuberculosis association and: it's affiliated bodies, has been ac- cepted by the school children them selves, and generally has been admin istered by the school teachers. Chil- dren have been taught the necessity of cleanliness,~ of daily baths, of proper food and exercises and the results have been an increase in weight for each individual child and a general better 1Aent for all the health of the chil- Gren. The children have worked dili- gently to attain the various grades of honor in the crusades.
 Southern Cities Lead.
 This has been especially true in the southern states where ideas of chivalry : still exist among the school children. Children have carried their lessons home with good results among the adults and they have in turn seen the advisability of observing laws of cleanliness.
 "Open air schools, modern sanato- riams and prevention aid have done their work in combating the influence that would tend to increase the death rate from tuberculosis, such as the steady increase in city life with its attendant increase in indoor occupa- tions. The education upon health lines in spite of heavier city life has de- creased the death rate from POO per thousand to 97 per thousand during the rast twenty years. It is not an im- possibility that before many years tu- befcplosis will be almost extinct.
 Birmingham has a death rate of about 127 per thousand at present time, which may seem large, but this IS accounted for by the large negro pop nu1ation. Health education among ne- groes is of slow growth and all of our southern cities show death rates com paratively higher than in northern cities, but among whites the rate is on level if not lower, owing to the
 milder climate and better methods of living"
 sx Arrange For Convention.
 :. pr. Barnes expects to be in Bir- mingham until Monday comforting with ! his colleagues and arranging the pro- gram for the October convention. The convention is expected to bring sev- i. eral hundred persons to Birmingham from all parts of the 13 states of the southern association. Arrangements have already been made whereby sey- eral international figures in tubercu- losis work will appear on the pro- gram.
 Miss Mary Dickinson was to ar- rive in Birmingham Saturday from the Atlanta association for the committee meeting to arrange the convention pro- gram. The conference will be at the Tutw1ler hotel between the southern executive committee and the local com mitte. The new $200O00 sanitarium at present under construction on Bald Ridge will probably be completed by ehe time of the conference and feature in the convention.