The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-07-22
SPRINGFIELD HAS
GOOD DEPARTMENT
AS DIR. II. y. SIGHTS, CITY
HEALTH OFFICER, SEES 1T.
Paducah Official Visits Cities to Gain
New Ideas For This
City.
INTERVIEW IN STATE CAPITAL

The Springfield Qll) News Of
July 20 contains the following inter-
view with NDr. II. p. Sights, city
health officer:
DR.. II. p. Sights, commissioner of
health of Paducah, KY, who is maxi
ing a tour of several of the northern
cities for the purpose of investigat-
ing sanitary methods, spent yester-
day and this morning in Springfield,
leaving here at noon for st. Paul,
MINI. DR.. Sights held a long con-
sultation with DR.. Palmer, of the
health department, discussing the
crusade which has been inaugurated
here for the betterment Of sanitary
conditions.
DR.. Palmer and Dr. Sights are old
time friends, having become ac-
quainted during the yellow fever
scare some years ago, when DIT.
Palmer was in charge Of the state
board of health Office at Cairo, H.,
established there for the purpose Of
preventing yellow fever patients en-
tering Illinois.
The Paducah physician is greatly
impressed with the rapid results from
Dr. Palmer's work in Springfield. He
was especially interested in the fight
for pure milk. which the Springfield
health officer IL making. The dump
ing out of the adulterated milk
struck him as a novel, but effective
way OF getting better milk.
Paducah Has Reputation.
Paducah has earned a reputation
In Kentucky for its excellent health
department. Under Mayor Smith. who
is a son-ln-law of Secretary OF State
James A. Rose, Of this city. great at
tention has been paid to the health
of the city and DR.. Sights states that
the mayor has missed but one meet
ing of the board of health during HIS
entire tenure of Office.
Five years ago a nltering plant
was put in by the water works de-
partment OF the city and since that
time. reports filed with the Kentucky
board of health show that the NOR
tality has decreased almost loo per
cent other causes have. OF course
contributed to the better health con-
ditions. but the altering plant with
settling basins is largely credited foi
the lower death rate.
Praises DIR. Palmer.
Springfield could not get a better
health officer than DR.. Palmer" sald
DR.. Sights this morning before leav.
ing the city. 81 have seen his work
and / know that he can clean a city
up and keep IL clean and healthy II
he has the proper cooperation. The
mayor has made a good choice and
evidently intends to pay more atten.
tion TO the health department than
understand has been paid in the pact
"The two most important things In
any city is the water and the milk
Dr. Palmer Is working for purity In
both. He has sensible and practlca
ideas. and although the crusade has
just begun. | believe Springfield will
see greatly improved conditions un'
der this administration.
"Dr. Palmer's method OF dealing
with milkmen who put preservativei
into the milk is one of the most effec'
tive I have ever seen. Prosecutions
are often very doubtful corrections
methods. but when you pour the mill
out as soon as the adulterants have
been discovered, the milk dealer Il
hit hard in the beginning and the
prosecution can then be used as q
follow up IL necessary.
81 think II people realized what
impure milk means, how many babies
, II kills in one summer, just as the
physician realizes ii. they would turn
things upside down TO get a perfect
milk supply. Not only the adulter.
ants cause death and disease, but
germs that are communicated by i'm.
proper handling OF milk are also very
injurious. Milk should be bottled az
soon as II is brought into the dis.
tributing station and not kept stand.
| ing for hours and then bottled as II
is needed by careless employees. DR.
Palmer has the right ideas along
these lines"
st. Paul has model health depart