The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-04-28

TUBERCULOSIS
AND ITS VICTIMS
Malady Carries Away
More Girls Than
Young Men
QUESTION ANSWERED

time a scientific answer has been
sought to the question why twice az
many women as men die of tuber-
culosis between the ages of Is and
"a.
According to an announcement
made by the state tuberculosis
commission here to-day. Jessamine
S. whitney, statistician for the Ma
tional Tuberculosis Association in
New York, reports on an effort
made by her organization to solve
this problem in one of the leading
industrial cities of the country. The
lite histories of all girls between
Is and 25 who had fallen victims
to the disease during a single year
were investigated. The result, says
Miss Whitney. indicates that moth
erhood was the greatest contribut-
ing factor.
MANY people have speculated
or this subject" Miss Whitney
stated. I'm the press, from the pull
pit and over the air have come va
rious explanations. Some ranted
about short skirts and scanty
clothes. Others issued blast
against dieting. Cigaret smoking
also came in for its sharC of blame.
And while it would be unwise to
generalize too much from the
study of all the girl victims in a
single city, the knowledge gained
from this investigation surely over
turns many previous ideas on the
subject to such an extent that more
extensive study Is required If this
appalling loss of life among young
women Is to be checked"
Miss Whitney explained that the
Plan used in this research was to
visit the home of every girl as soon
as possible after tuberculosis had
claimed her life, and in a personal
interview with parents or near rel
atives, secure all possible informa-
ton about her habits of living
prior to the development of the
disease.
1.-The replies to the questions
asked" Miss Whitney said, were
indeed surprising, not only to the
investigator, but also to acknowl-
edged experts. Nearly all people
who have thought seriously upon
this subject have taken occasion to
point the accusing finger at what
Is popularity called the jazz age.
crjticising the conduct of high
school and college students because
OF late hours. dieting TO keep slim,
and making whoopee in general.
"Yet the investigation dem
onstrated that these factors were
far less important than mother
hood. By comparing the habits of
life of the victims with an equal
rumber of healthy girls in high
school and college, 1t was deter
mined that there was little differ
ence between the two groups as to
diet or clothes, but that insufficient
rest was somewhat more evident
among the victims than among the
living girls with whom comparison
was made.
Another important factor was
found to be actual contact, with
out taking proper preventive meas
ures, with another person who had
tuberculosis. More than half the
girls who died showed such his
tory. Thus it is not entirely a CO.
Incidence that the 2,0S4 tubercu-
losis associations and committees
of the country are conducting an
educational campaign this year un-
der the slogan, Every case comes
from another
This whole subject introduces
the question of physical and emo
tional strain involved in the life of
most young women. There is little
doubt that the average girl is much
more anxious, to. be attractive and
popular than is her young brother.
Certainly at this particular age
period these desires loom much
larger in the life of girl than
they ever have before. A great deal
of her social standing among her
schoolmates or the people with
whom she works apparently de-
pends upon the number of evenings
she can spend away from her
nome each week. For the sake of
attaining and conserving this So
cial standing, the average girl Will
accept invitations to movies and
dances when the accumulation of
the days fatigue should make an
early bedtime much more attrac-
tive.
"But if motherhood were taken
out of, account, the mortality rate
among young women between these
ages would compare more favor
able with that among young men.
Thirty-five per cent of the cases
gave history of one more chill
dren. These children were born, in
10 per cent OF the cases. before the
girl was 20 years old. The onset OF
tuberculosis was usually closely
associated with childbirth.
IT believe the results are in no
way to be considered an indict-
n, emit of early matrimony. but rath-
err that the young mother does not
take the proper measures to pro-
tsct her health. This factor, to-
gether with the high proportion of
cases having lived with consump-
tives. seems to point to the direc-
ton in which we should go to stop
this unnecessary loss of life"