Milford chronicle., 1910-05-13
MINISTERS AND ALTH.


of the nation was never better illus
trated than by the efforts of the anti
tuberculosis societies of the country
to have Sunday, the cath Of April
set aside as Tuberculosis Sunday
by the churches of all deuomiua-
tions.
President Taft, and the Cover
nors of fifteen States have publicly
and warmly commenced this plan
to have preached in every church OF
the land, this new crusade against
the enemy that turks in the dark
ness, that thrives on poverty. count
ing his victims at no less than one
hundred and fifty thousand every
year.
But how much more effective it
would be if instead of sporadic
efforts such as these, if instead Of
ministers of the gospel preaching
against the germ of tuberculosis
multiplying beyond number with
the help Of bad air, insufficient food,
Over-work and underpay, we had
for all the people Of the United
States a Cabinet Officer, a Secre-
tarv Of Health, with a great De-
partment of Health under him.
doing for the health of the people of
America what the Department of
Agriculture is doing so effectively |
for their trees and crops and pigs |
Thirteen and one halt million
dollars is the annual cost to the
people of the Department of Agri-
culture and money we'll spent it is,
bringing in a rich return ofbetter
crops, of stronger stock and of more
economical methods of farming.
One great central health depart
ment to bring together the scatter
ed present health agencies of the
National Government, to properly
divide among them the fifteen mil
lion dollars and more they are now
spending under eight different
departments, would double the
eff ctiveness Of each dollar appro-
prldted for this purpose and would I
give to State and Municipal Health {
Officers just that advisory and CO. I
body Of experts they now /
so signally lack.
1t is not for ministers of religion
to save US from the pestilence that 4,
turks in sewerage polluted water =
supplies, in bad milk, in ancient h
foods and poisonous medicines. e
They can but arouse the public from Il
its letkargy, point out the enor-
nous sacrifice of life, the needless a
sorrow and suffering, the money 6
waste of So. .oOo, 900, 600 each wear 4
from our present disregard q
If the teaching Of science and com Of
non sense.
But to apply the remedy, to pre- 70
7ent the preventable, to cure the 70
urable in disease, men trained to &C
Medicine and experienced in public @
ealth and sanitation are needed. y
md these men must be kept abreast u
f the times they must know each ~ ~
that the other is doing they must
e in a position where they NAV bo
EEK advice and have it for the ask of
lg. The Public Health official of tn
lie smallest town and the Commis- ce
Oner of Health of the largest states,
like must have at their disposal
lie experiments of the most up-to- du
ate of laboratories in Washington, WI
i'd by bulletins such as the Depart he
ent Of Agriculture distributes, Ter
ley must be kept informed of the tn'
test experiments and discoveries -, m
Id be kept in constant friendly % 81,
uch with a central organization nri
which each shall feel that he is OF
integral part. the
Such a National Department Of fro
ealth could influence these health VII
thorities, state and municipal, to anc
act uniform legislation and would pr. pro
t as a clearing house ofhealth re- ''T y
lations. Accurate data on all ,or
estions of sanitation throughout peo
= country could be gathered bv hur
ch department, and conditions the
d causes of recurring diseases be- sou
!, carefully studied the chief I
Ises of preventable disease and wh'
necessary illhealth then could be Gus .,os
ablished 60 60
Promise that this soon will come fror
pass IS contained in the move win
Mt now rapidly gaining adherents witt
the enactment of the Bill intro offiC
,ed in the Senate by the Hon.
bert L. Owen of Oklahoma, in A
ich it is proposed to establish ca
tional Department of Health, i",n len
ier a Secretary who shall be a sire sire
r