Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-27
PREVENTIONOF DISEASE
ADDRESS BY DR. WOODWARD, DIS
TRICT HEALTH OFFICER.
Suggestion That's Authorities Make
Hygiene, and Sanitation Part Of
Curriculum IN Schools

At the Universalist Church of Our Father
last evening DR.. w. c.: Woodward health
officer for the District. delivered an address
on The Prevention of Disease before the
members of the Federation of Young PeO-
pie s Societies of that church DIR. Wood
ward was introduced by Rev John Van
Scha1ck, pastor of the church, who pre-
sided over the exercises of the evening.
Dr. Woodward admitted that moral con-
duct is closely connected with physical
well-being. Disease is a lack of harmony
between the human being and his sur
! roundings. In considering the prevention
of disease it is first essential to deal with
problems of environment. What is good
for one person in his surroundings would
not be good for another.
Continuing. Dr. Woodward said, in part:
"As the communities have grown more
dense 1t has become more difficult for the
individual to help himself. Too much at
tention is paid to merely mechanical SAM
tation. All that the municipality feels that
1t has need to do in these matters is to fur
nish pure water supply, a successful sys-
tenn or sewerage and satisfactory dis
posal of waste matter and refuse Much
has resulted from these sanitary improve
ments and much yet remains to do. 1
think at present the administrators of
charity should give the authorities a pat
tern to work after. In the days gone by
the charitably inclined gave aims, but did
not look beneath the surface. They re-
lieved the immediate necessity, but they
we are working for now. We are instruct
ing persons in distress and telling them
how to avoid it, The next most important
step is to teach the people how to care for
themselves.
TRY to bring home to every citizen the
natural factors that cause disease. Our
problem is to teach people how to prevent
disease. The press of the country is taking
fnO no
are interested in this subject. This is not
sufficient. Work must be done in other
ways
Hygiene and Sanitation.
The speaker suggested that the authori-
ties make hygiene and sanitation part of
the curriculum in all public schools in the
country. After the three RS he said, this
subject is next in Importance, and the
children should be taught how to care for
themselves.
1T Is not encouraging to those people
who live in novels to have preached to
them the value of bathing and it's need
when they have no facilities for bathing"
said DR.. Woodward. when the munich
pality packs six men in cell in the
WOrkhOuSe, because Of absent legiSla ton,
it is not a good object lesson to preach to
a man of the value of plenty of air space
and ventilation in his own home. While
novels and insanitary sheds are allowed to
stand in alleys and be inhabited, with Con-
greSs making no authority to dispose of
these insanitary dwellings, 1t does not
sound right to the unfortunate to preach
cleanliness and sanitation. Along with the
instruction in the schools the municipality
should make object lessons of these exist
ing conditions and prove that they prac-
tice what they preach.
I'VE must acquaint ourselves with the
circumstances around US and learn reme-
dies that may be applied and how we may
apply them. When those who desire to be
charitab BILE work along those lines the COM
munities throughout the country will be
better and those who do the noble work
will better their own souls.''