Evening star., 1935-01-22

ldOCCs 4Ob6HAg AAOg AAoAA eAAN NN'NS
Washington are reported today. Ph
sicians are chiefly at fault, yet, par
doxically enough, under other CT
cumstances they would be the mo
loyal co-operators.
Provision on tuberculosis.
The law calls for disinfection
rooms after death from tuberculos
in a way satisfactory to the healt
officer. Today this probably never
required, yet paint, paper. soap am
water would prevent many later case
Of tuberculosis.
This law provides that the healt
officer may disclose the identity
persons with tuberculosis as it may
be necessary in carrying out the pro-
visions of the act. This has beer
interpreted naturally enough, b}
health officers in the past as mean
ing that the identity could not b
disclosed to any one. And yet visiting
nurses and others are supposed t.
carry out instructions. see that case
are reported, and that the prop
care is established.
Simple Wording Needed.
The law provides a penalty for
own violation. but l doubt if it ev
has been invoked in the DistriC
This law permits by literal interprC
tation the defeat of its own purpose
Therefore it should be rewritten il
the simplest words to allow the health
officer to carry out its purposes, an
at the same time it should be mos,
elastic so that both the health Office.
and the tuberculosis officer may do
their utmost by every means TO re-
duce the menace of tuberculosis and
its attendant suffering. A careful
analysis Of the workable and efficient
laws governing tuberculosis control in
different States and communities is
available through the District of Co
lumbia tuberculosis Association for
use in drafting a new and better law
AS rule, health laws should be re-
written every seven years to keep up
with the growth in knowledge and
procedure.
In the interests Of economy and
public responsibility the most efficient
communities have established by law
a tuberculosis commission for the sup
port of the health officer and the
tuberculosis officer. 1t is not possible
under ordinary political conditions in
a municipality or county to divide re-
SponSibility for such a task as tuber-
culosis between two or more bureaus
such as the Health Department and
the Public Welfare Department
Always there results such a confused
and inefficient system as occurs her.
in Washington.
Central Control Necessary.
The problem of tuberculosis require
a centralized administration under tn
Commissioners, the health officer and
the tuberculosis officer, so that con-
tinuouS handling Of each case and it.
contact may be most efficiently cared
for. Whether the patient is in the
hospital or in the home, everything
possible should be done for cure or
prevention until cure or death relieves
the community of danger and respon-
Sibility.
On such 4 commission should be
represented the government Of the
community as we'll as the medical pro-
feSSion and voluntary groups dealing
with this problem. In many communi-
ties this commission fixes and con-
tends for its own percentage Of the
taxation and is responsible for budget
ing and spending money in the most
effective way. under the proper gov
ernment authorities.
Such a commission for the DistriC
would probably do a great deal to g.
us out of our preeSnt dilemma.
CoIored Fatalities DepIOred.
Whenever our high tuberculosi.
death rate in Washington is men
toned some one is sure to bring Up
the part played by the colored popu-
lation. 1t is true that the colored
race suffers a higher tuberculosis
death rate than the white race One
of the severest indictments that can
be brought against our present sys-
tenn is that it has done practically
nothing for them We have here prob
ably the best educated colored popu-
lation in the world and there are good
disqualification facilities. But there
seems to have been no recognition of
the r..cia susceptibility to this dreaded
disease, and the colored people have
been given only the Same haphazard
attention that has been received by
the rest of the city.
There should be provided at Freed
mems Hospital a wing exclusively for
tuberculosis, similar to the one sug-
geSted for Gallinger.
This would be part of unified pro-
gram under a tuberculosis commits
sion and with one full-time officer
hoo ripu tho reSpopcihiIity