Evening star., 1939-08-17
Georgia Physician
Is Winning Battle
Against Syphilis
Figures He Can Whip
Disease in Three
Counties in 8 Years
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
BRUNSWICK, Ga, Aug. IL
Public health officials mobilizing for
a crusade against syphilis decided
this harbinger of misery and death
could be wiped out in the United
States if the fight were determined
enough.
A genial, partly bald Georgian,
who insists he is lust plain
country DOCTOR" is proving by the
brass tacks way that they were right.
DR.. M. E. Winchester, quiet-spoken
but strong-willed Glynn County
health commissioner, did not pick
an easy spot for his demonstration.
His proving ground lies in three
sparsely settled Georgia counties
whose rural population is sprinkled
among turpentine camps of the
piney woods and other small settle
ments in the marsh and swamp
country.
DR.. Winchester hasn't conquered
syphilis yet among the 30odd thou
sand inhabitants of Glynn, Mcintosh
and Camden counties, but he says
he has gone far enough to know
that he Will-juSt as he laid low the
menace of malaria among these
people. It may take him eight years,
but he does not think that is a long
time considering the mass OF
humanity at stake and the enormity
Of the task.
Job Is Stupendous.
AS an inkling of what's involved,
minimum of 70 weekly injections
in the arm or in the hip is held by
the medical profession to be neces-
sary to cure" a case of syphilis.
This takes a year and half. Often
more than 10 injections are required.
Multiply it all by 5000 or 1000
patients, each of whom must be
reached every week-and there is
the undertaking in nutshell
The job is stupendous. So is the
resourcefulness of the short, stocky
little man, DR.. Winchester, now in
his middle 40's. He is out to whip
syphilis in the towns and backlands
of his territory-even if he has to
=
cling medicine man to do 1t.
His program began in 1884, when
he came from the Georgia State
Health Department to take the
county job 1t went into high gear
in 1887, when he got his clinic on
wheels. Other clinics are held
weekly at seven health centers in
tho +hree counties
Since it's start the program has
had the blessing Of the United States
Public Health Service, which is join
ing the State and counties In
furnishing the money. AS it went
along it drew from DR.. Thomas
Parran, surgeon general, the praise
of being "the finest piece of work
of its kind in the whole country.
73 Cases Cleared Up.
In November Winchester and his
staff of Is fellow workers will pass
a milestone that perhaps has never
been reached before in this country
1t will be the closing of a large
syphilis clinic because its work is
done-the disease wiped out in its
territory.
This clinic is on Sapeloe Island
12-souare- mile estate and plantation
of wealthy r. j. Reynolds. In
February, 1887, there were 73 known
cases of syphilis among the SOC
colored farm workers and laborers
on the island. In November, DR.
Winchester announces, there will be
none.
Approximately half of the three
county population are colored, and
among them, says the county health
doctor, lies the syphilis fight. Blood
tests given approximately 80 per cent
of the total colored population, he
announces, disclosed that 26 per cent
of all the Negroes, children included
have syphilis.
DR.. Winchester regards the prob
lem among the white population OF
the counties as almost negligible,
except for rigid check on infection
among food handlers in public
places. A house-to-house program
of blood tests covering SO per cent
of the white population, he said, in
dicated only about 2 per cent are
syphilitic.
Program Being Watched.
The control program, the only one
of it's kind in the country, is being
closely watched. Public health Off
cials from more than 80 States and
dozen foreign nations have in
spected the equipment and methods
The health officer first sold the
"bosses' or employers on the syphilis
fight.
Next was the problem of getting
the syphilis victims to the clinics
The word syphilis means little OF
nothing to the average Negro in the
coastal area With them it is all a
matter of good" or bad" blood.
So fight against bad blood" it
became. DR.. Winchester went to
the colored preachers. the school
teachers, the leaders in every COM
munity. He organized barbecues
hot dog roasts, hog and grocery
raffles and dozen other attractions
to get the message across. There
was pink lemonade for all-day
church gatherings-even chewing
gum for the children.
1t worked. Soon the question oi
good" or bad" blood was on the
lips of nearly every Negro. They
f1ocked to the clinics for blood tests
Ministers permitted the taking Of
blood samples before and after theil
Sunday sermons. The travelling
clinic became the bad blood wagon.
Dashing in and out country road:
six days week. the trailer clinic
visits 26 communities in the three
counties every week. Along with
the stationary clinics, it gives treat.
ment to between 1900 and 1900 suf
fererS.
Dr. Winchester insists upon a high
standard for the health service. HI
makes no COMPROMISE in the tech.