8/10/2019 Some Rural Diseases Were Very Serious

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Some rural diseases were very serious

A chronic and serious health problem was tuberculosis, usually called “TB.” Itkilled more people in the South than any other infectious disease. More women than men

were infected. It was more common from the middle teenae years throuh the mid!

forties. It didn"t respond to home remedies and could spread from one family member toanother. At the time, antibiotics hadn"t yet been disco#ered.

“$it looks like %ie e& onna half t" o "way fer a while,” Milas commented to hiswife. “$e wu& doin" tolerable well fer a spell, but he tuk a turn fer th" worse here of late.”

%ie was a neihbor who li#ed about a mile away. 'or months, the mane(perienced nausea, weakness, fe#er, niht sweats, chest pain, and weiht loss. Most

ominous was his couhin up blood. A doctor in Albert#ille had dianosed the dreaded

consumption. In #iew of his serious condition and the fact that the disease was hihly

contaious, authorities were re)uired to send him to the state TB sanitarium near

*adsden. It was established in ++- as a Tuberculosis fresh air camp on top of%ookout Mountain. It consisted of si( can#as and lumber tent structures. In +/0 the

camp was destroyed by fire and a more permanent facility was constructed. 1riinallynamed Madru In&er Memorial $ospital it became one of the most successful hospitals in

the south for treatin tuberculosis.

The institution could pro#ide no specific medication. Streptomycin was decades

in the future. 2hat it did offer was rest, a nutritious diet richly supplyin #itamins and

minerals, and plenty of fresh air and sunliht. The fresh air on the mountain location was

 belie#ed to help cure TB. If all else failed, surery could be used to collapse the diseasedlun for treatment or e#en to remo#e a portion. The man miht re3oin his family within a

couple of years. 4onfinement was mandatory.

“2hut"s his wif" "n" chillen oin" t" do,” Belle wondered aloud. %ie was a farmer 

with four younsters.

“I"ll send th" boys down t" help "n" I"m shore others"ll do th" same,” he assured his

wife. As he predicted, the community closed ranks and assisted the needy family until

the return of its head.

5(cept in the case of smallpo(, #accinations weren"t a#ailable. The usual

childhood diseases ran their course. The #ictims suffered to #aryin derees, but most

sur#i#ed unimpaired. Almost e#ery child had measles, mumps, whoopin couh, andchickenpo(. 'ortunately, sur#i#al of the diseases conferred lifelon immunity.

Two of the 4amp children became sick. It started with fe#er, sore throat, swollenlands, and red tonsils with pus on them. 2ithin a day, a red, rouh rash that looked like

sunburn spread all o#er their bodies. Scarlet fe#er called for drastic measures.

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  Scarlet fever was once a serious threat

The public health officer walked warily toward the house, paused a moment in the yard,

then mounted the porch with firm steps. $e didn"t knock or call out. $is #isit, at somehomes, pro#oked anry words or threats. In his hand was a lare sin that he nailed tothe wall. At the top in lare letters were the words “Scarlet 'e#er.” Below the headin it

read, “These 6remises are 7nder 8uarantine.” The notice ordered that no person could

enter or lea#e the dwellin. The placard couldn"t be remo#ed. 6enalties fornoncompliance were se#ere9 up to a hundred dollars fine or as much as thirty days

imprisonment were possible.

All in the community obeyed. In time, both children felt better. The outer layerof skin peeled from their bodies first and then their hands and feet. The emerency was

o#er. %ife could resume as normal.

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