Evening star., 1938-11-20
Program Will Mark
3O-Year Fight on
tuberculosis
Association Will Hear
Talks ond See Film
Tomorrow Night

ton will hold its thirtieth anniver-
sary meeting tomorrow night In OBJ
servance of the organized fight start
ed against the dread white Plague"
by the death of colored boy IN one
of Washington's disease-ridden al
leys. 4
Walter S. Ufford, former executive
secretary of the association, and DR..
James G.. Townsend, president, will
be the first speakers on the program,
which will begin at pm. at the
United States Public Health Service
auditorium, Nineteenth street and
Constitution avenue NV. Mr.. Uf-
ford will talk on "A Rollcall of the
Founders" while DR.. Townsends
subject will be Thirty Years of
Progress in Dealing With Tubercu-
losis."
The Rev. D. E. Wiseman, the asso-
ciation's only living charter member
now on the board of directors, will
deliver the invocation. Music and
a motion picture entitled Let My
People Live" will be held between
the addresses.
Persons Will Speak.
value of Rehabilitation for the
tuberculosis Patient" will be dis
cussed by w. Frank Persons, director
of the United States Employment
Service Of the Department of Labor.
DR.. John West, assistant health Of
ficer of the Harlem district of New
York City, and Dr. Kendall Emerson
Of New York, managing director of
the National tuberculosis Associa-
ton, all will speak.
The local organized campaign
against tuberculosis actually was
started IS years ago when the old
welfare organization known as As
6ociated Charities created the spe-
clal "Committee on the Prevention
OF Consumption of the District of
Columbia" Its formation was the
result of campaign initiated by
group of volunteer colored workers
after one OF three sons of poor COL
ored widow living in Blagden Alley
died of the disease. Prior to his
death the youth had been cared for
by friendly visitor of the Associ-
ated Charities.
Educational lectures were provided
by the committee, which also OBJ
tanned funds by voluntary donation
to finance four free tents for tuber-
culosis patients at the old Washing
ton Asylum Hospital in 1904 1t es-
tablished the Starmount Sanitorium
IN Maryland at cost basis of $40
a week per patient, and also a free
dispensary for consumptives at 923
N street NV.
In 1907 the Committee for Con-
sumptives employed as its full-time
executive Miss Eugenia Bray, now
Mrs. w. Frank Persons, member |
of the associations board of direc- |
tors. A full-time nurse also was
employed for the home care of !
patients.
On October 81, 1908, the commit
tee voted to disband and organized |
the present tuberculosis association,
which was incorporated as an in
dependent body.
Since the organization date the
association has f1ourished and con-
tinued each year to enlarge its
functions.
District Health Officer George G.
Ruhland announced yesterday that
as a result of free X-ray eXamina-
tions conducted during the last two
weeks in local high schools, chest |
photographs of approximately $500
students had been obtained This |
work was done in cooperation with |
the District tuberculosis Association.
The films will be developed and in
terpreted about December /, DR..
Rutland said. and will indicate the |
number of positive cases of tuber-
culosis. Such students then will re-
ceive guidance by physicians or at
the tuberculosis clinic.
Seal Sales Raise Funds.
The work of the association, in
addition to voluntary contributions
throughout the year and income de-
rived from property and investments,
is financed by the sale of Christmas
seals. The seal, which was looked
on as "a passing fad" in 1907 has
become the symbol of the worldwide
fight against "humanity's most per-
eistent enemy"
The death rate among colored
persons being higher than among
whites, Miss Alexine Tanner has
been named by the association to
head q colored health project. 1t
is planned now to hold an institute
for colored physicions here in the
spring and an institute for colored
tuberculosis workers early this
winter.
Mrs. Ernest R. Grant, managing
director of the association. and
Donald T. Sheehan, educational di-
rector, will administer the project,
with Miss Tanner cooperating.