Evening star., 1948-05-13
Drive 10 Combat
Rheumatic Ills
To0pen Here
RoIIy Set Tomorrow;
Doctors Support Plan
To Enlist Public Aid
By George Beveridge

py Seof9e pevSTfo9e
The first organized attack on
rheumatic diseases, which lead all
other ailments in disabling victims,
is being launched this week by q
group of District citizens and doc
tors.
First step in the campaign was
the recent incorporation of the Dis
trict Foundation for Rheumatic
Diseases, which will sponsor a rally
at $50 pm. tomorrow in the Dis
trict Medical Society Building, 17l8
M street NV, to stimulate public
interest in the drive.
The idea was born two years ago,
when Mrs. Joseph T. Edward, 4441
Hawthorne street NV, who had
been an arthritis victim. proposed
formation of the lay foundation.
Endorsed by Physicians.
Appalled, by the lack of research
and care for rheumatic sufferers.
as well as public ignorance of the
diseases, a group of doctors, headed
by DR.. Darrell C. Grain. president
of the District Rheumatism Society,
readily Endorsed the plan.
As its first step, the foundation
hopes, through contributions. to es-
tablish resident fellowships for doc
tors at rheumatic clinics in local
hospitals.
Because rheumatic diseases are
not infectious and are not reported
to the Health Department, there
are no clear-cut figures on the
number of sufferers in the District.
6,S50,000 Victims Seen.
DR.. Phillip S. Hench, director of
the rheumatic disease service at the
Mayo Clinic. however. estimates
there are 6,850,000 victims of the
disease. To point up the lack Of
facilities throughout the country,
DR.. Hench cites this comparison:
For our $4,000 tuberculosis
patients, there are available about
100000 free beds and 500, ,000, 900 for
care and research. But for our g.
300 900 rheumatic patients, there are
available only about 200 free beds
and 100000 for care and research.
In other words, although there are
10 times as many rheumatic as tu-
berculous patients, the latter have
available 500 times more beds and
money"
DR.. Grain said the foundation
probably will concentrate its efforts
against the two most prevalent
types of rheumatic disease-rheu-
matoid arthritis and osteo arthritis.
Efforts to foster research and treat
ment for rheumatic fever-which
leaves victims with serious heart
ailments-has become a primary
concern of the American Heart So
ciety, he said.
l.. Effects Described.
L. Rheumatoid arthritis, which af-
fects the age group between 20 and
40, is long term. chronic disease
which often results in crippling and
deformity ,of the joints. Osteo
arttrttis attacks the older age
groups. It is considered to be.
process of wear and tear on the
joints that comes with old age.
!, Mrs. Elward, the widow of .
Washington physician and presi-
dent of the foundation, was stricken
with serious rheumatic ailment
at the age of 20, when she was
studying to become concert pian-
ist. Now free of the disease. she
said she has been concerned about
the need for such a foundation
since her first illness.
The foundation contemplates no
public fund drive at present, Mrs.
Edward said, but hopes, through pri-
vate solicitation, to establish the
fellowships in at least two hospitals
here by the end of this year. Each
will cost about $1,000, she said.
The group, which now has about
so members, hopes later to affiliate
with a national foundation formed
within the last few weeks in New
York by the American Rheumatism
Association.
Officers of the foundation, besides
Mrs. Edward, are Mrs. Louis Rem
frow, Mrs. K. P. Landon and Henry
Tetlow, vice presidents; Mrs. Earl
Baldwin Mckinley, corresponding
secretary; Miss Evelyn KEN, record
ing secretary, and James A. Coun-
cilor, treasurer.