The Washington herald., 1907-05-14
AGREES WITH OSLER
Or. Woodward Discusses the
Public Health Service.
RADICAL REFORMS NEEDED
Political Instability of Position and
Insufficient Remuneration Make
Positions In American Municipal
Health Departments Undesirable.

DR.. W. c. Woodward health officer Of
the District, agrees with DR.. William
Osler in the belief that America is far
behind England in the matter Of public
health service In a discussion of DR..
Osler's recent remarks relative to this
subject before the Pathological Society
of Philadelphia. Dr. Woodward said yes
terday:
at IS. l believe. unquestionably true
that the administration of the sanitary
affairs of the various States and cities of
this country is far behind the admins
tration OF similar affairs In Great Britain
and Continental Europe. In the United
States there is no induCement whatsO-
ever for young physician, engineer
bacteriologist, or chemist to enter into a
minor position in a health department Of
State or city, except the salary at
tached to the position, and the most de-
sirable men, IL they are well advised, do
not enter upon such work except from
sheer financial necessity.
Inducements that Are Lacking.
Even where politics has now been
| eliminated from the health department,
the appointee has no certainty that a
change in the administration will not re-
store politics to its former position.
Tenure of Office depends upon the civic
| ideals of the party in power and not upon
| legislative enactment
And even where the established civic
n = 70
render tenure Of Office for an indefinite
/ period reasonably certain, the chances of
/ promotion are so slender as to represent
in the ordinary Office almost a negligible
quantity. and promotion depends upon the
/ occurrence of vacancies higher Up. which
occur but seldom. Increased usefulness
which comes to a man from long expert
! ence in an office, counts for but little
when it comes 10 fixing his pay. Should
/ man be disabled or lose his life in the
/ performance of his official duties. no pen
/ sion awaits him or those who are depen-
/ dent upon him for support
when all these facts are considered
and when II is borne in mind that eX-
perience in the health department Of a
State or city does not enable one the bet
/ ter 10 earn his livelihood in private life
/ should his connection with the health de-
partment be severed. It is no wonder that
/ the very men who would reflect most
| credit on the service and who would ac-
complish most for the community, dc
not ordinarily take up the work.
Remedy Lies with the People.
Several efforts have been made by va.
riovs universities in this country "a
establish departments Of public health
/ in which persons desiring to be trained
/ for sanitary work should obtain the spe-
/ cial education which they sought The
/ field Of public health work is, however
so uninviting. from the standpoint OF sal
AIRY. tenure Of office, social position. anC
opportunity for scientific investigation
that no university has ever succeeded
in organizing and maintaining a depart
ment Of this character
when people come 20 think as muci
of their health and of the health of thei
children and those dependent upon then
as they do of their ease, comfort, per
7 sonal appearance. social standing, an,
I property interests. the organization an'
status of the sanitary departments Of ou
States and cities will be put upon thei
proper plane. but it is questionabl
whether they will reach their prope
plane before that time"