Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-12-28

rus and antitoxin and will visit or
otherwise assist wherever an cpl
demic disease occurs. The depart
ment has not only demonstrated it's
reason to be, but has clearly shown
the urgent necessity for more detail
work. Valiant work has been done
and Is being done by the, officers OF
the State health department, but the
task has grown too large for them.
Assistants are needed in the field.
These could be supplied by appoint
ing competent physicians to be
who will devote their entire time to
the work. Each rural district inspec-
tor to be in charge of three or four
counties with some easily accessible
point as headquarters. This is prac-
tically the plan already adopted in
Virginia for detail work, and has
been found very successful.
This may not mean a very much
larger appropriation by the State.
Each county already has the expense
Of caring for it's poor and INDECENT.
The work Of the inspectors would
materially tighten this burden, as
their efforts would tend to lessen
disease generally, and they would be
in charge of all epidcmics occurring
in this class Of patients. 1t would be
economy both in finances and health
to contribute to this work If the
county officials and those in charge
Of the Rockefeller fund could be
brought together upon a satisfactory
adjustment, their combined contri-
buttons would practically settle the
financial feature Of the problem. The
organization in regard to the hook
worm situation in this State could,
perhaps, be made to cover the broad
er field Of general sanitation The
inspector provided with microscope
should call upon the individual ply
sicians OF his district. visit his pa
tients with him and treat all the
hOokworm cases, and assist him in
any infectious diseases he may have
VII lpiu. wv lhS "holc
interested; talk about the prevalence
Of disease and the methods Of it's
spread and stimulate the desire for
better sanitary conditions. The cam
rather than coercion.
Appeal to the intelligence OF the
farmers, they have as much OF that
commodity as the average man---may
| not obviously as necessary in the
| country as in the city. 1t is an easy
| matter to convince a man in the city
of the necessity Of health protection
ESPECIALLY when contagious dis
ease is only few feet away in an
adjoining home. But in the country,
where the nearest neighbor is, per-
haps, half mile away, the danger
seems too remote to be enl tanned
seriously. However scattered the
cases are, there is always a wide va
riety Of diseases in the country
from acute infectious to those due to
some cause upon mans own prem
ises--mosquitoes, flies, soil pollu-
tion
a good way to get the matter be-
fore the farmers is to have some au-
thority upon the subject Of rural san
itation address them at farmers
meeting or a good roads convention.
Newspapers and magazines should be
enlisted in the cause and asked to
publish articles by men who are ca
pable OF writing upon the prevention
Of disease. The first steps have al
ready been taken towards this end;
current newspapers and magazines
contain with increasing freuuep "
| popular articles on subjects pertain-
ing to preventive medicine. Editors
have been most obliging and appear
ANXIOUS to assist in the work.
Special instruction upon practical
hygiene should be given in the pub
Tic scohols OF the country. Children
with their bright, plastic minds
readily adopt the teachings and will
become active missionaries in the
work. Ministers Of all denominations
should be encouraged to instruct
| their congregations in the funda men
| tai principles Of bodily hygiene a..d
altruistic sanitation and in the ap-
probation Of these as important ana
| necessary in securing spiritual
| health.
The good women OF this country
are even now eXerting a most power