The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-07-27
Tuberculosis Being
 Beaten, Shows Data
Article By William C. Yelling, State Statistician,
 Points to Decline in Deaths Since 1909

If Connecticut last year had had the same death rate for tub erculosis which prevailed in 1909, there would have been 2,639 deaths out of the population of 1,67S,647 instead of the actual 793 deaths, William c. Yelling, di- rector of the Bureau of Vital Sta tistics of the State Department of Health, stated in an article appear ing in the current issue of the de- partment's monthly bulletin which was issued to-day. MT Wellins's article showed the very definite de- crease in tuberculosis deaths which has been achieved in this state since 1875. He estimated that the financial gain to the state by this saving of lives amountes of $9,230,- 900 every year.
 His article follows in part:
 "The most recent annual fig ures tabulated for Connecticut set ting forth the mortality due to tub epculosis are those for 1883. In that year 47.2 persons in each 100000 of the population died of some form of tuberculosis. In 1875 among the same unit 205.6 persons died. This is reduction in death rate of almost exactly 77 per cent. However, it is not the greatest percentage reduction that could be discovered, for the year 1875, was not by any means record year for a high mortality. That record, if such it may be called, belongs to the year 1882 when 264.1 persons in each 10O,- 900 of the population died of some form of tuberculosis.
 "Tuberculosis is now recognized to. occur in humans, in cattle. and in, birds. Strangely enough, as we get further away from the pri- mitive, into higher civilization for man, or greater domestication for the animal, tuberculosis ap- pears. In cattle it is a barn dis ease, not one of the range; in fowl it develops in the coop, not in the birds nature; and in man, among the dwellers in houses not among the primitive races.
 s'For this reason tuberculosis is at once both a medical and so- ciological problem. It is so wide spread that it has been said that everyone has a litle tuberculosis" Granting its sociological aspect, and its wide prevalence, it is con- S6TVdllN6 lO dSSuIllS lllal SNClS- one is guilty of tuberculosis until proven innocent. This is striking ly.emphasized by the fact that in a careful examination of a large number of bodies there was evil dence of tuberculosis in over 90 per cent.
 .s'There is considerable evidence that tuberculosis is an infection of childhood. It is furthermore es- tablished that the heaviest mortal itP falls in the years of greatest usefulness. Therefore, the infec- tidn may lie latent for years, to flare up when least suspected.
 "It has been said that tubercu- 1osis is a disease of the classes. Hope of the future lies in early diagnosis, better housing and in- dustrial conditions, and rigid elimination of the bovine or cattle tuberculosis, whereby children may gete their latent infection. These arc indeed sociological conditions which complicate the problem im- mensely. Yet, however, sluggish a mass appreciation may be, the imp of preventive measures gain ground even tot he extent of compulsory isolation. At such 6 time tuberculosis will be fully un- der control"