Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1925-09-10
TUBERCULOSIS

state legislature to provide special
medical service for conducting clinics
in counties for the examination of
suspected cases of tuberculosis, the
West Virginia tuberculosis Associa-
ton has arranged to have this project
financed through a program coordin7
ated with the state tuberculosis sana-
torium at Hopemont and the state
department of health.
A plan was presented by DR.. j. G.
Petit, superintendent of the state
sanatorium and was approved by the
executive committee of the West Vir-
GINA tuberculosis Association at a
meeting held in Charleston on July 80.
The meeting was attended by the
following members of the committee:
DR.. Walter E. Vest, Huntington,
president; Walter McNeal, Charleston
streasurer; DR.. j. G. Petit, HopemonC
DR.. G. H. Barksdale, Charleston;
Miss Nan K. Hepburn, Piedmont;
Mrs. James NJ Preston, Lewisburg;
and George C. Rowell, Charleston,
executive secretary.
A specialist in the diagnosis of
tuberculosis in the early stage of the
disease will be employed whose SER
vices will be available as a consultant
aid medical examiner in every county
Of the state on the request of county
medical societies and anti-taberculosis
agencies affiliated with the state tuber-
culosis association.
The great need Of extending the
facilities Of the state saatorium to
physicians and the public was empha
sized by DR.. Petit in the following
statement: "For the past six-year
period ending June 80, 1924, there
were admitted to the state sanatorium
at Hopemont 1912 patients. Of that
number 54.2qe were far advanced,
32.6es moderately advanced, and only
1920 were incipient eases"
Tuberculosis is one of the most
durable Of all chronic diseases if
treatment is started in time" said
Dir. Rettit, land conversely, it is one
of the surest killers if treatment is
delayed. Yet more than seventy-fve
Ter cent of the applicants to Hope
mont postpone their requests for adj
mission until the disease has pro-
crossed to an advanced stage with
little or no possibilities Of improve.
ment or cu~a.
This new service is intended as an
educational campaign to help people
appreciate the gravity of early symp-
toms of tuberculosis and to induce
victims Of the disease to take advan-
taqe Of institutional care and treat
meat, while they still have q good
fighting chance to get well.
In his report to the executive COM
m ttee, state secretary Rowel, said
that surveys have been made and
educational health programs haze
bsan demonstrated in Grant Hardy,
Harrison, Kanawha, Mcdowell, Mon
roe, Pendleton, Summers, Tucker, and
Wyoming counties during the past
six months by the following public
health nurses associated with the
state association Miss Lila M. Hes
cock, Mrs Alice T. Bassetit, Mrs.
Pearl Hyer Hazel, Miss Marion H.
Perry and Miss Ragna L. Frederick
sen. During the next tuberculosis
Christmas Seal Sale through which
the work of the state and count
tuberculosis associations in West Vir-
ginia is financed chiefly, secretary
Rowel stated that ten million seals
and other supplies have been ordered
and will soon be ready for distribu-
ton to county organizations. For the
instruction of county seal sale COM
mittees special institutes will be held
in Charleston on September II,
Clarksburg, September Is and Cum
berland, Md, September 10.