Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1929-12-14
PIEDMONT, SANITORIUM A
PLACE OF PRIDE
By w. r. Johnson, Eek. Secretary
Negro Organization Society, Inc.


A visit to this institution a few
days ago revealed many interesting
facts. The board was just closing
an important meeting, and as DR..
Venable was bidding goodbye to
those interested visitors he well
coined US into his humble office. His
face beamed as he said, eve were
just talking of what we hope the
Negro Organization Society is going
to do for US here"
We talked at length with regards
different phases of the work and one
could not help but think that he was
interested in his work. 1t was graft
flying to note that the. staff of nurses
who are of our race give satisfactory
service. We were led to believe that
these nurses are learning the Han
cock philosophy, NEGRO hold your
job.
We found that in one ward there
a large per cent of the patients will
never get well. There were two other
wards in which 90 per cent will re-
cover. You may wonder just why
this is. Many people do not under
stand and draw conclusions upon the
most unreasonable fallacies. There
are three types of patients at Burke
vile. Incipients, moderately ad-
vanced and far advanced. AS you
know incipients have the greater
chance of recovery, and the moder-
ately advanced come next. The
trouble arises out of the fact that
there is a mix up of the moderately
advanced patients and those that are
far advanced.
I There prevails false pride among
our people with reference to tuber.-
culosis and they seem afraid and
think that it is a disgrace to submit
to treatment for this dreaded dis
ease. Every day they feel little
better and are dying at the same
time. 1t was revealed that large
per cent of those admitted under the
head of moderately advanced pa
tients are extremely advanced. We
call attention to this fact, for we
feel it very necessary that we do not
wait too long to call in our family
physician for examination and con-
situations on the matters OF our
health in general. 1t is more I'M
portant that the patient does not
have to go to the sanitorium than it
is that he be cured after going there.
! It was gratifying to note that
thirty-seven patients are kept there
by the tuberculosis Seals Association
and other affiliated organizations:
Health Center, Petersburg, 5; Amer
lean Red Cross Chapter, 3; Hampton
Visiting Nurses, 2; Board Of Super
visors, tuberculosis Seals Assocla-
ton, 10; Norfolk Anti tuberculosis
Association, d; and Danville City
Health Department, 2.
The Negro Organization Society
cares for three patients and there
are request every week for more aid. !,
There are fifteen to thirty patients
there without source from which to
receive aid. We are doing all that
We can to increase our efforts along
this line. Under DR.. M. E. Davis,
of Roanoke, Va, who heads our Bet
ter Health Program, every bit OF
energy is being used in the fight on
tuberculosis. We are also urging
the setting up of as many preventive
measures as possible.
DR.. Venable has been at the sanl-
forum only eight months, and many
changes have taken place. One sees
readily that he has his heart in the
work. Great pains is taken with the
food and the patients get plenty of
it. Fresh milk and the like are at
their disposal. It was interesting TO
note the large number of improved
patients who went there in time to
be helped A few days ago Dr.;
Venable had an expert in the field
Of tuberculosis to come to the Sall-
torium and perform four or i've
major operations on patients thai
ordinarily run UP in to the hundreds
of dollars--this was done for the pa
tients free of charge. His words are
these: eve plan to make this one
of the most scientific institutions IN
the country" The State of Virginia
is to be congratulated upon her pro-
gress at this institution and for haV-
inc man like DR.. Williams as COM
missioner of Health, who believes IN
the Improvement of the health OF
all the people. Let us not forget the
large number Of patents who are at
the Sanitorium looking to you and
me for aid in this most trying hours.
The superintendent would be With
in the law if he said to them: "There
are no available funds and we can
not keep you any longer; but he
makes this statment: owe consider
# inhumane to send patient away
when he is better off here whether
we have the money or not"
Let US get hind the health situation
of our people and do everything that
we can to cut the high mortality rate
which is one of the most serious
aspects of Negro life. We are de-
pending upon you to help US in this
great need.