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Home > Healthy Living >
First Ladies > Caroline Harrison
Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison
(1832-1892)
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Background
Selected Achievements
Tuberculosis (TB) and Leading Causes of Death
Tips to Reduce Your Risk for TB Disease
Related Links
Background
Born in Oxford, Ohio in 1832, Caroline Lavinia Scott grew to become a
talented young woman. She was well-educated and attended the Oxford Female
Institute, which was founded by her father. She mastered English literature
and fell in love with the arts, especially painting. In 1853, she graduated
with a degree in music. After school, Caroline taught music, home economics,
and art.
In 1849,
Caroline met Benjamin Harrison, who she later married on October 20, 1853.
She volunteered in many organizations, including the Indianapolis Orphanage
and other women’s organizations.
Caroline
Lavinia Scott Harrison served as First Lady from 1887 to 1892. She made many
changes within the White House, such as adding the east and west wing to
expand the building. In the summer of 1892 while serving as First Lady, Mrs.
Harrison became very ill with tuberculosis (TB) and died later that year on
October 25.
Selected Achievements
- Became an
accomplished pianist
- Encouraged
the admittance of women students to Johns Hopkins Medical School
- Became the
First President General for the National Society of the Daughters of the
American Revolution
-
Established the White House Christmas Tree tradition
Tuberculosis (TB) and Leading Causes of Death
Three Leading Causes of Death |
1900 |
2001 |
Pneumonia
and influenza |
Heart
disease |
Tuberculosis |
Cancer |
Diarrhea,
enteritis, and ulcerations of the intestines |
Stroke |
Mrs. Harrison
died of TB in 1892. Around that time, TB was probably the second leading
cause of death. In the late 19th century, TB killed one out of every seven
people living in the United States and Europe. In 2002, a total of 15,075
cases of TB were reported to CDC from the 50 states and the District of
Columbia, representing a 5.7% decrease from 2001 and 43.5% decrease from
1992.
An estimated
10-15 million Americans are infected with the TB bacteria, with the
potential to develop active TB disease in the future. About 10 percent of
these individuals will develop TB at some point in their lives. However, the
risk of developing TB disease is much greater for those infected with HIV
and living with AIDS.
Tips to Reduce Your Risk for TB Disease
- Get
tested for TB.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/tb/faqs/qa_latenttbinf.htm*
TB is spread through the air from one person to another. A TB skin test is
the only way to find out if you have latent TB infection, which may
develop into TB disease if not treated. You can get a skin test at the
health department or through your health care provider. You should get
tested for TB if:
- you have
spent time with a person with known or suspected TB disease
- you have
HIV infection or another condition that puts you at high risk for TB
disease
- you
think you might have TB disease
- you are
from a country where TB disease is very common (most countries in Latin
America/Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Russia)
- you
inject drugs
- you live
somewhere in the U.S. where TB disease is more common (homeless
shelters, migrant farms camps, prisons/jails, and some nursing homes)
- Know
your HIV status.
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/facts/hivtb.htm*
The risk of developing TB disease is much greater for those infected with
HIV and living with AIDS than those who are not. Because HIV infection
severely weakens the immune system, people dually infected with HIV and TB
have a 100 times greater risk of developing active TB disease and becoming
infectious compared to people not infected with HIV. All people infected
with HIV should be tested for TB, and, if infected, complete preventive
therapy as soon as possible to prevent TB disease.
- Know
health risks when traveling.
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh4-TB.aspx*
Be aware if you are traveling to an area where TB is common. These include
countries in Latin American/Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and
Russia. Places in the U.S. where TB may be more common include homeless
shelters, migrant farm camps, prisons/jails, and some nursing homes.
Related Links
Caroline
Lavinia Scott Harrison*
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/firstladies/ch23.html (Non-CDC site)
Deaths:
Leading Causes for 2001*
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr52/nvsr52_03.pdf
Diarrhea
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasiticpathways/diarrhea.htm
Harrison, Caroline Lavinia Scott*
http://www.firstladies.org/Bibliography/CarolineHarrison/FLBioSketch.htm
(Non-CDC site)
Influenza (Flu)
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/
Pneumonia
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/submenus/sub_pneumonia.htm
TB: Questions and Answers*
http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/tb/faqs/qa.htm
Tuberculosis: Traveler’s
Health*
http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh4-TB.aspx
*Used as
a source for this Web page.
This site contains documents in PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader
to access the file. If you do not have the Acrobat Reader, you may download a
free copy from the
Adobe Web site.
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This page
last reviewed March 26, 2004: Historical Document
This page last updated
January 2, 2008
URL: http://www.cdc.gov/women/owh/firstlady/harrison.htm
US
Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Office of Women's Health
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