A Working Plan for Colored Antituberculosis LeaguesWertenbaker, Charles Poindexter
Science
A Working Plan for Colored Antituberculosis Leagues
Wertenbaker, Charles Poindexter
Tuberculosis -- Prevention
When the leagues have taught their members that it is not healthy to live
in dark, damp rooms, with bad sanitary surroundings, and have educated
them to the point where they will refuse to live under such conditions,
then the landlords will build proper houses for them. The leagues working
in conjunction with the health officer can get the city authorities to
so frame the building ordinances that only sanitary dwellings will be
erected in the city.
_What a church league can do for the individual consumptive._—In addition
to supplying the members of the league with information in regard to
tuberculosis and sanitation, which is the work of the committees, and
trying to induce the members to follow the instructions given them, there
are other things that the league can do for the individual consumptive.
The chief difficulty that will be encountered by the leagues is the
lack of money to help their sick members. It is hoped, however, that as
the league demonstrates its value to the community more money will be
available, and the work of helping the sick members can be extended.
This work contemplates the “class method” of treating patients at their
homes, the establishment of dispensaries, and ultimately sanatoria and
“tuberculosis farms,” where a patient can earn a living by working on the
farm and at the same time be under medical supervision. It is realized
that these things are for the future, but it is well to keep them in mind
as one of the ultimate aims of the leagues.
Now let us consider what can be done for the members who have
consumption. The league should buy a number of the paper spit cups
mentioned above, and distribute them to their consumptive members,
and urge their use. These cups are cheap and therefore can be burned
after being used. If every consumptive can be induced to use these cups
and then burn them much will be done toward stopping the spread of
consumption.
Whenever a case of consumption is discovered the officers of the league
should apply to the health officer to disinfect the rooms occupied by the
consumptive, in order to protect the other people in the house from the
disease. Then if the consumptive is careful he is not likely to reinfect
them. Also when a consumptive dies the health officer should be asked to
disinfect the rooms.
Consumptives should spend most of their time out of doors, and if
possible should sleep on a porch, or in a shed, or tent. All one needs is
something to protect against the weather and keep off the rain and snow,
but let in a great deal of fresh air. Patients live out of doors all
winter in the north, with the thermometer below zero, and many have been
cured of consumption in this way, including negroes. The league may help
to provide the shack, shed, or tent, or it may furnish sleeping bags,
blankets, etc., and in this way help the patient.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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