The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1894-11-08
SANITATION.
Dr.. e. F. Strickland Dis cusses No
Important Subject

Z
Important Subject
For the Sentinel
That prevention is better than
cure" is an old maxim and doubtless
no older than true. Great attention
should be paid to the prevention of
disease in order to obviate the neces-
sity OF cure. All are acquainted
with the cost and discomforts of
sickness, but many ARE ignorant of
how to prevent it. This condition,
to a great extent, is brought about
by physicians TOO often failing
of their duty in educating and in.
structing the people in regard to the
Laws Of Health; and, too, the people
are too careless to heed and lax TO
execute such laws when instructed.
a wholesome era of reform is begin
ming to dawn upon US in this particu-
lar. The physician has become sen
sible of his responsibility, and in his
efforts he has succeeded in enlisting
public sentiment" that mighty lev
er of success, in his favor.
Annually the North Carolina Medi-
cal Society and the North Carolirs,
Board of Health meet in conjoiEt
session and the physicians from all
over the country take up and thor
oughly discuss that momentous and
stupendous subject, The Prevention
of Disease, and much las been ac-
complished. But matters medical
necessarily consume most of the
time at these annual meetings, there
fore it was decided at the meeting in
| Greensboro last May to hold these
nf Tho
| Health each year for the purpose VI
more thoroughly stirring up AN III
| terest among the pt ople in sanitary
matters. The first Of these extra
| meetings was held in Salisbury on
| the 18th OF September, and perhaps
; created more enthusiasm and did
! more effectual work than any similar
meeting ever held in the State.
Papers We're read and discussion
ensued Oh the following very inter-
esting subjects: ''The prevention of
consumption as we know it today"
THE sanitary improvent of our jails
| and county homes" ''The pollution
OF drinking water and it's detection"
San Instructive epidemic of typhoid
fever" and others.
With regard to tuberculosis (cOn-
sumption) it was spoken of and
| treated altogether as contagious
| disease, and therefore pFeveEtab bic
| Every physician il the land should
let this thought fill his conscience
and mind, and the iaity should open
their eyes and search for knowledge
| along this line. l. is possible that
hundreds of thousands of cases OF
consumption may beprevented every
year.
Typhoid fever is, perhaps, the next
| greatest scourge of humanity. In
the densely populated city, in the
| sparseIy settled country, in the fertile
valley, high up in the barren noun
tain districts, in fact, where ever
man has set his foot it claims for
itself Ii home. One thousand people
die of typhoid fever in North Caro-
lima annually. How many cf these
deaths are avoida bic, let tie el,a.!eE
death rate Of the future answer.
ically disiniscttd and buried far from
all water snppti.s, according to Sin,
structions u.}r quarartiCe aa1 dlsin-
fection," pamphlet for ;Eee distri-
button prepared by the secretary oil
the North Carolina Board Of Health.
Any physician in the state who
hasn't copy should apply TO DR.. r.
Fl. Lewis, Secretary, KaieIgh, n. L.
Gan act relating to the Beard OF
| Health" Claws OF 1889 fixes a pen
atty for both physician and house
holder who, either through ignor
ance or wilful neglect, fa,:s Of BE
duty in this particular. This Lass
also makes it imperative that al!
registered physicians make prompt
reports To their respective CCus )
Superintendents OF Health, ana ttls,i
said superintendent make reg uial
monthly reports to the Secretary o
the State Board of Health. Let til,
law be obeyed. With the dis.ovcr}
of Ehrlich's chemical test Tor The
detection of typhoid ever a Positiv,
diagnosis can be made after TIT
fourth day of fever. This test. as tal
as can learn from a considerable pcr
sonal experience and otherwisc, Is III
fallible.
Every physician should employ It
Under the old plan week or mor'
must elapse before we could be posi-
tive fever was typhoid, and Tier
the diagnosis could not always be iii
positive as with the chemical test.
That physician who not only cure:
but prevents most diseases is he Ah'
is most in the line of duty.
e. f. STRICKLAND, NJ. p
Sec. Forsyth Co. Board OF Health
BETHANIA, N. c., Nov. l, 1894.
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