The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-11-10
The National EIeaIll, aip-c.aent.

The National Health -lkOsc-1cnt.
= national movement g rader way
at present having Cor IT, o3ject the
establishment or fed raj bureau of
public health at the n@tIonal capital:
Among the chief advoSutcs and pro-
moters OF the movement IS the Amer
lean Medical Association, which.
through it's members and afiliated
medical societies throughout the
country, Is lending all possible aid
and encouragement to the enterprise.
The work in the connection has even
engaged the attention of local people,
and the Harrison County Medical So
ciety has taken an active part in the
movement and Is doing what it can to
help 1t along. The medical societies
have not been alone In the work,
however, as both of the leading POI
lItical parties have pledged themsel-
yes in favor of such legislation as
may be needed to establish the de-
partment
1t has been announced that Presi-
dent Roosevelt in his next message to
the Congress viii transmit. with his
approval. plans for the organization
of all existing national health agen-
cies into a single federal depart
ment. 1t does not appear that those
who are ever jealous and watchful of
the rights of the individual states in
regulating their Internal affairs can
find serious objection to this general
scheme as It does not seem to involve
any encroachment of state rights or
to place the states under any unjust
obligations. y department of the
pubic health would enable the fed
eral government to carry out the
work of national sanitation and
other matters pertaining to the public
health and the general welfare more
thoroughly and more effectively.
Such department would also pro-
vide the means for systematic CO.
operation between the national gov
eminent and the states in the general
work of sanitation and prevention of
disease. Especially valuable would
such systematic cooperation be
where such work embraced condIt-
ions and territory extending through
two or more states. State work need
not be interrupted, superseded nor
interfered with.
That the movement is commend
able may be adjudged in part by the
urgent necessity In various localities
for the work that it IS proposed to
embrace According to statistics,
more than $4,000 people die of ty-
phoid fever alone in the United
States each year. Besides, nearly
one fifth of a million people are an
nuaIly stricken with this same dis
ease ana recover after Illnesses of
several weeks duration and are able
to return to work only after due per-
iods of couvalescence. The pre-
ventIon of only part of these cases
would afford a saving of millions of
dollars, computing the value Of the
working time lost by the sufferers, II
only the pecuniary side be considered
although that is the least consider
alton when human suffering and loss
of life are concerned.
Not only typhoid fever, but tuber-I
culosis and other preventable diseases
that ravage our people can be fought
with more effectiveness by any organ
lied, scientific campaign directed by
the federal government and aided by
the state governments.
The general movement would also
stimulate interest on the part Of the
states in a better and larger scope of
public health work. The great work
already accomplished by the federal
government in stamping out yellow
fever in southern cities may serve as
a striking example of what organized
EFFORT can accomplish in promoting
the general welfare of the people.