Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1938-11-02
Syphilis Is
Causing Much
Disease Here
Daily Dispatch Bureau,
In The Sir Walter Hotel.

Raleigh, Nov 2.-Syphilis account
ed for almost one-fourth of all COM
municable diseases reported in North
Carolina during the calendar year
1887, according to Bulletin No. 6,
North Carolina morbidity statistics,
just issued by the State Board of
Health from statistics prepared under
direction of DR.. j. c. Knox, colla-
borating epidemiologist.
In all there were 50,591 cases re-
ported, of which no less than 1929
were of syphilis. Thifty-sour diseases
in all are listed, though no cases at
all of eight were reported for 1887.
Ten diseases were responsible for
nearly 95 per cent of all reported
cases (94.7 per cent to be exact), They
were syphilis, measles, whooping
cough, chicken pox, gonorrhea, Ger
man measles, tuberculosis, scarlet
fever, ciphtheria and influenza in
that order.
Every county in the state reported
cases, but no single disease was re-
ported from every county-syphilis
and diphtheria coming closest, with
SO counties reporting cases of EACH
reports were by no means complete
or inclusive of all cases of commune
able diseases within the state, but in
an introduction to the statistics, it is
pointed out that reporting by ply
sicians in this state was 18 per cent
better than in 1885,"
Diseases of which no cases were re-
ported were anthrax, cholera, dem
que fever, plague, psittacosis, tracho-
ma, European typhus fever and yell
low fever
No reports on malaria were requir-
ed before June, but thereafter a total
OF 876 cases were reported from AZ
counties.
Cases of communicable diseases and
the number of counties reporting them
follow:
Chancroid 148 from % counties:
chicken pox 5,409 from 90; diphtheria
2,O56 from SO; dysentery (Bac.) 10
from 9; endemic typhus 68 from %;
German measles 1855 from so: gonor-
rhea 2877 from "a; influenza 1879
from 46; malaria S7* from 48; meas
les 1887 from 81; meningitis 1859 from
81; ophthalia (neonata) II from IA;
para-typhoid 16 from Is; pellagra SIG
from 76; poliomyelitis 1O6 from SO:
rabies 2 from 2; Rocky Mountain spot
ted fever q from 10; scarlet fever g.
O73 from 81; septic sore throat 1875
from 49, smallpox II from 9; syphilis
l2299 from SO; tuberculosis 1852 from
SO; tularemia 10 from IL; typhoid 493
from 83; undulant fever 26 from ID:
wfooping cough 1852 from 90.
The two counties from which no
cases OF syphilis were reported were
Davie and Montgomery. The two
which failed to report any cases of
diphtheria were Currituck and HYDE.
More reports were made in Decem-
Der than in any other month, with
$40 January brought up the rear
with 1923.
Cases reported in other months
were February 1874; March 1851
April $3.50; May 4,71s; June 4'339:
July 1858; August 1919; September
4.6S6.
Commenting on the number of
syphilis cases reported for 1897, the
introduction to the Bulletin said:
During 1887 the venereal disease
control program in North Carolina
was definitely launched. The attend
ant publicity and aroused public in
terest have been reflected in a ire
mendous increase in the number of
cases reported, particularly of syphilis |
There were reported 1929 cases OF |
syphilis in 1887, compared with 6.O86
in 1896 Rapid expansion of this con-
troll movement promises correspond |
ing rise in the number of cases to be |
reported in the future.