Evening star., 1936-01-28
Plea for More Equitable
District Health Program

To the Editor Of The Star:
A week or so ago DR.. Rutland, our
health officer, outlined, in newspaper
release, his plans for reducing the tuber-
culosis death rate in the District of Co
lumbia. His is program large part
of which is educational and Is most
commendable.
This phase Of his program, however,
will be of minimum value to the ma
jority of Negroes, the group which has
such an astounding mortality rate from
this disease. To begin with, the Negro
Is not as ignorant about health as is SO
frequently presumed. During the years
Of the depression an influx of unintelli-
gent colored laborers and their families
from the South has considerably reduced
the intelligence quotient Of the Negroes
of this city.
The economic level of the lower classes
must be raised before any health edu-
cation will be successful. What good
will come out of teaching these people
the value of milk as food when they
haven't money enough ITO purchase the
milk? Why teach them and prescribe
for them balanced diets when they have
money enough to buy only bread? OF
what value would be the knowledge of
the benefits of sunlight when these un-
derprivileged people are forced to live
in apartment house Easements and dark,
dingy alleys because that is the best their
pocketbookS can afford? Recreation in
the sunlight will be recommended. How
can they enjoy this in Winter when they
are barefooted? The advantages of fresh
air will be taught to thousands whose
homes are already too full of fresh air
from leaky windows and doors, broken
plaster and misplaced weather boarding.
1t is only natural that the Negro should
have higher death rate in Washington
than the whites. The black man is last
to be hired and the first to be fired
Make a comparison of the recreational
facilities for white and black and note
the unfair distribution. Take the col
ored golf course, for instance. It is
divided by the broadest avenue in the
city, is as level as tennis court, and
those who use it only get the thrill of
playing a water hazard in the midst OF
flood, while the whites enjoy two BEAU
tiful courses in the same public" park.
Swimming pools are centered in the
northwest section, where they are needed
least. Fairgrounds are most scarce
where they are needed most. Much val
liable play space has been given over to
school buildings. These situations must
all be corrected before our health officer
can get the best results.
Another important question that has to
be considered is that of the hospital sit
uation for Negroes. With population
of 100000, only four men able to pay for
a private room for surgical operation
could be accommodated. In other words,
if five Negro men who are able to pay
two or three dollars a day for a private
room in hospital for surgical care were
i'll at the same time, the fifth one would
have to wait. The same is true of medi-
cal cases. A city hospital manned entirely
by Negro physicians, nurses and social
workers is an outstanding need. A fair
substitute would be a colored medical,
surgical and nursing staff in charge of
colored patients at Gallinger and the
tuberculosis hospitals. Contrary to the
belief Of many white physicians, any
number of colored physicians would gladly
give their services to impecunious pa
tients at a hospital that would appreciate
their services sufficiently enough to treat
them with the courtesy that is due them
Dodging or running away from the
truth will not help. Fortunately, preju-
dice cannot be inculcated into germs. If
it could, am sure that in a few years
the question of Negro health would be
settled for all time.
C. HERBERT MARSHALL.