The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-12-20
CHRISTMAS SEALS ARE LIFE
SAVERS

The Maryland tuberculosis Asso-
citation has launched its thirty-fourth
annual Christmas seal sale and from
now until the holidays, school child
rem, club women and social workers
will be selling, and many others will
be buying, the colorful little stick
ers that raise funds to combat tu-
berculosis.
The approximately $4,000 real
ICED annually in Maryland through
the seal sale makes possible the
maintenance of a modern program
of tuberculosis control, which in-
cludes clinics, x-ray treatments,
tuberculin testing, medical research,
health education, a special Negro
program and the maintenance of
summer camp called the Miracle
House.
How much effect the associations
work, which is largely educational
and thus preventive rather than cur
alive, has had on the decrease in tu-
berculosis deaths Is matter of con-
lecture, but Maryland's tubercu-
losis fatalities have fallen to frac-
ton of the rate of bygone years. In
1904, for instance, 234 of every
100000 Marylanders died of the
white plague Last year but 72.1 of
every 100000 died from this cause.
Though this progress is encourage
ing, Maryland's tuberculosis record
does not compare favorably with
those of other States, its 72.1 rank
ing third highest in the country.
Arizona, oddly, leads the nation
with 1926. With its clear, dry air
and reputation as health center,
this State might be expected to have
a much lower death rate. But be-
cause it is Mecca for "lungers",
authorities explain, Arizona's death
rate is high. A high percentage of the
population is comprised of transient
tuberculars, many of them in late
stages of the disease.
In the list of States, Tennessee
ranks second with 1876 death rate,
due, the authorities say, to great
concentrations of population and to
large Negro population. The Dis
trict of Columbia, practically entir-
ely a metropolitan population, has
87.4 tuberculosis deaths per 100000
population.
Baltimore, it is pointed out, is
largely responsible for Maryland s
high death rate. Over half of the
States population Is concentrated in
the metropolitan area, where there
is much poor housing and where liv-
ing conditions are not uniformly
good. In addition, there is a large
Negro population, uniformed of
disease-prevention measures, thru
out Maryland, and in many rural Sec
tions of the State submarginal living
conditions obtain.
1t is to alleviate these conditions
that the association program, financ-
ed by the Christmas seal seal, is
maintained. Between 5000 and 1000
patients receive examinations and
x-ray treatments ecah year in the
clinics operated by the association
in Baltimore city, and the monthly
clinics in the counties give similar
service to about 5000 patients an
nually. Clinic patients are received
at the instance of reputable physi-
clan or nurse and report on their
physical condition is forwarded to
the State Department of Health. II
tuberculosis has developed, public
health nurse is dispatched to the
home and work environs of the pa
tient to check on the possibility OF
contagion and spread of the disease
Another element of the association
program is the tuberculin test adj
ministered annually to county school
children in cooperation with the par
ticular boards of education Because
the discovery of tuberculosis in its
early stages expedites its early cure
many States have laws requiring
clinics which sometimes give un-
looked for results.
The Maryland associations educa-
tional program furnishes literature
lectures, motion pictures and open
forum meetings on recent develop
ments in the scientific control and
cure of tuberculosis to physicians
nurses, schoolteachers and civic
leaders. Many requests for this SER
vice come from Negro groups.
Since 1919 the Miracle House,
maintained by the association at
Claiborne for girls from homes in
fected by the disease, has protected
over 2,100 of them. Every year 100
girls, between the ages of Is and rs
years of age, are taken to the camp
on the Chesapeake, which is regard
ed as a tuberculosis preventorium