Dr. Robert Haspel, chairman of the diabetes detection drive committee of the Orleans Parish Medical Society, today said the drive this year is "more important than ever" because of the increase of diabetes in this country.
Dr. Haspel pointed out the incidence of diabetes has increased 37.5 per cent in tills country "and almost half of the victims are unaware that they have the condition/'
The immediate objective of the drive, he said, is to find the 1,250,000 unknown diabetics and
alert them to the need for prompt medical care.
He announced appointment of a four-member committee to assist him in organizing and conducting the drive in the New Orleans area. Committee Members
Committee members are Dr. Lawrence G. Bole, Dr. Robert R
. Burch, Dr. .John E Garcia, and Dr. Daniel W. Hayes.
Dr. Haspel said the broad objective of the drive is to acquaint members of the community with the symptoms of diabetes The drive, he emphasized, jis an education and detection j effort, and is in no way concerned with fund-raising.
Diabetes Week, Nov. 13-19, is conducted nationally by the American Diabetes Association in co-operation with its 45 affiliate units throughout the na-jtion and more than 900 county, parish, and state medical societies.
According to Dr. Haspel, the signals that may indicate the presence of diabetes include excessive thirst, excessive urina-
tion, loss of weight, intense itching, slow healing of cuts and bruises, changes in vision, easy tiring and pain in the extremities. ! Detection Drive
Business, industry and labor in the area have joined in supporting the diabetes detection drive. An estimated 13,475 employes of 17 local business- industrial concerns.are scheduled to take the simple test for diabetes during the observance.
Dr. Haspel said the simple test discloses cases which often exist in hidden form, and early detection and prompt medical care are essential in successful treatment.
"The diabetic under good medical control is as acceptable as a non-diabetic in practically every type of employment," said Dr. Haspel. "More than 1200 positions in the federal government have been classified by the medical division of the United States civil service as being suitable for diabetics." :
Dr. Haspel said arrangements have also been made for testing other members of the community in. co-operattion with members of the New Orleans chapter of the American Pharmaceutical Association in the Louisiana state Pharmaceutical Association. Dreypak testing kits are being furnished free to all persons at the prescription coun-' ter of these drug stores. Process Strips
The kits are taken home by the individual and after a heavy meal in sweets and starches,, a small strip is placed in a urine specimen, allowed to dry, and then sent in a sealed envelope to the testing station at Tulane university medical school. Physicians have volunteered to process the strips and send reports to each individual at his home address.
Firms co-operating in the testing program for employes are Kaiser Aluminum & Chemicals Corp.; Falstaff Brewing Corp.; Louisiana Power & Light Co.; Rheem Manufacturing Co.; Jackson Brewing Co.; New Orleans Public Service, Inc.; Haspel Brothers, Inc.; Famous Stern-berg; Wembley Tie Co.; A &JP Food Stores; Todd Johnson Corp.; New Orleans Fire Department; Eustis Engineering Co.; Maison Blanche; Godchaux's; Woodward Wight; and the Bor-den Co. PHOTO: DIABETES WEEK, highlighted by a diabetes detection drive, is planned by, from left, DR. DANIEL M. HAYES, DR. LAWRENCE BOLE, DR. ROBERT R. BURCH, and DR. ROBERT B. HASPEL.
