The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1908-04-06
NECESSITY FOR NATIONAL
ORGANIZATION OF HEALTH

(FFOm an huureSS W
Welsh, Pathologist of the John Hop
kins University.
Possibly the greatst single triumph
in the direction of sanitary reform,
has been in the exterminataion OF the
disease which is most tamiliarlv known
and which is directly traceable to filth
-typhus fever.
The real knowledge on which the
prevention of infectious diseases is
based is thediscovery of the causes OF
these diseases by such men as Pasteur
and Koch.
The governments of France n Ger
many have taken the initiative and
the discoveries of the organisms of
| Asjatie cholera. tuberculosis, typhoid
fever and diphtheria, have been a
great influence in awakening the pub
lie interest in these diseases. Preventa-
tive medicines and public hygiene are
based now on a large mass of ascer-
tanned facts. and tbse can be applied
in the most direct and effective man
ner towards the prevention OF infec-
tious diseases and the Improvement OF
the public health in general.
One of the most important results
is the adoption of themost suitable
measures for the prevention OF most
of the diseases that have been increas-
ing, the material prosperity and the
commercial development o fthe coun-
try. Take for instance the steps that
have been tken for the prevention of
malaria. These are the drainage of the
marshes and the low and unhealthy
Ind in order to destrop the breeding
places of the mosquitoes. That, in it's
elf. quite apart from the prevention
of the disease and the obstruction OF
the mosquito, leads to a great en-
richment Of the natural resoures OF
the country. Take the measures that
are essential for the checking of tuber-
~culosis. That disease is now an econo-
mic and social as weyy as a medical
problem.
To what extent this new knowledge
is applied to public hygiene and pre-
tentative medicine? Only to a limit
ed extent anywhere in the world. Any
one familiar with what is actually
known today regarding this class OF
disease is aware that eve in the most
enlightened countries there is only a
fraction of that knowledge applied.
Here is another instance in which the
knowledge outstrips it's application.
But in Germany and particularly in
France and England so much of this
knowledge has ben unit to a practical
use that the results are very apparent.
The death rate has ben reduced by a
third in many places to one half of the
mortality which formerly prevailed,
and this has been chiefly due to the
checking of the infectious diseases.
In America this new knowledge has
been applied to lamentably small de-
gree. We are a reproach to the civiliz-
ed world by reason of our inactivity
in. the matter of public health and the
prevention of ininfection diseases. Can
we conceive of our national govern
ment if a Koch or a Pasteur should
make his appearance in this country,
calling him to Washington, and by
giving him a laboratory giving him
theopportunity to confer niestimable
benefits on mankin.s Incredible.
Under our conditions the government
could do nothing for that kind. In
whose hands heretofore has been placed
the matters concerning the puibldluou
the matters concerning the public
health? 1t has been in the hands
chiefly at the cities and towns, but
only to a small extent has the exist
ing knowledge been applied in a sys-
tematic and intelligent ann The
reason is that there has been no nation
al head to indicate in what direction
money and skilled knowledge, which
has been so wastefully applied in many
instances, can be applied effectively.
In England every littletown has an
expert trained in matters of sanitation
one who has the diploma OF ''doctor
of public health, indicating that he
has special sanitary knowledge aside
from that. of the ordinary physician.
1t is difficult for the public to under
stand that the vital statistics are the
basis of all good sanitation. Just as
an intelligent system of bookkeeping 81
the basis o f any business. We must
know the natural history of any
disease, and what its death rate is,
before we can intervene with %intelli-
gence to prevent it's spread. Only a
very limited part of this country has
what may be called technically a regis
~tration area. In other words, there are
few cities and very few communities
that know anything exact about the
health conditions in their respective
localities. There are many WAYS in
which our Government can prove of
great efficiency in this co-ordinating.
educating and harmonizing work in
the interests of public health. There
is no economy in the Department work
at Washington. The opportunities are
probably greater today than ever for
the promotion of the welfare of the
people by the coordination of the
forces which already exist, but back of
such a movement must be an educated
intelligent, public sentiment. Edu,
Gated sentiment can be secured by AIDE.
| innate Snnnnrt of The ~. .aal.1 IL