The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1948-06-24
Eradicate tuberculosis
Health Dept. Urges
Mobile Unit Services
Holmes County With
Free x-roy Given

Recently a grandmother who was
x-rayed by the mobile health unit
at work in Holmes county this week
was found to have TB Since
she lived with members of the fami-
ly of the younger generation, these
were also given chest x-rays by the
unit, and were likewise found to
have the disease that yearly kills
$4,000 persons.
The early diagnosis of tubercu-
losis is of cruical importance, accord
ing to Mrs. Alton Parker, registered
nurse, of the Holmes county health
office, together with Buford L. Nc
Kenzie, assistant coordinator for the
State tuberculosis Control unit in
Jackson.
Cure Is Enabled
Every person of he 10000 in Hol-
mes county is urged by workers Of
the unit to take the x-ray this week
or next, at the most convenient place
where the unit appears. Early dag
nosis while the disease is in the
minimal (first) stage, enables COM
plete cure, Mrs. Parker informed.
The moderately and far advanced
stages do not promise easy and quick
results.
The fact that a person feels well
and appears perfectly healthy does
not mean that he is free of the dis
ease. In the case of the grandmother
and members of the younger gene
rations of the same family being
found with the disease, Mrs. Par
ker said that the younger members
of that family took the x-ray not
because they felt in poor physical
condition, but because of suspicious
or harboring the disease, due to the
presence of tuberculosis in the
grandmother.
Similar cases are common occur
rences, she said. Where there is con-
tact with other other persons, these
individuals usually get the disease
and often no symptoms appear un-
til it is six months underway.
Is Number One Killer
During the war, tuberculosis killed
two thirds as many persons as
killed in action, Mr.. Mckenzie
pointed out. This means that a per-
son dies from the disease every 10
minutes. In relation to fatalities
from other diseases, tuberculosis is
a number one killer, usually hitting
the ages of Is to As since these are
ordinarily the most active years of
the individuals life.
In urging all persons older than
than Is to take the examination,
Mr.. Mckenzie said that smaller
children are accepted only when the
child is known to have had con-
tact with the disease, and-or is sick
ly and requests the examination.
"They don't get too old to take
it." Mr.. Mckenzie said. Time re-
quired for the examination is about
two persons a minute or 100 to $50
an hour. Monday, 681 persons turned
Colored and White cooperating in
out from around Cruger, with both
"a very good response" he told.
Tells Steps For Eradication
In eradication of the disease,
everyone in the community should
take part, first to find symptoms ear
ly, second to treat promptly and
throughly or to isolate At least -
and through these latter two stages
to prevent occurrence of new cases.
There is no isolationism when
it comes to health, as it is a prob
lem for all of u.s." Mr.. Mckenzie said
adding that heart disease or an en-
larged heart also are shown up by
the examination.
The second year that the mobile
unit has travelled over the 50 coun-
ties in Mississippi's enlarged state
wide health project, state results
show approximately the same per-
centage of cases as that found in
other states, or about 1.6 per cent
diseased per 100000 population.