The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-08-27
pIIRLIC HEALTH
Interesting Article Issued by rupli''
;,v Rureau of Health Educatloh.

orohlom If can be solved only by III
telligent, systematic effort, DaeAou
nv enlightened public sentiment
# is conceded that health IS 1uh-
damental in individual development
and general welfare, but 1t is aiso
obvious that immediate construoe
two measures for betterment Oh
sanitary conditions are far from the
public mind. .;.,,do
To bring about changed ATTITUDE
two measures are elemental: l. III
struction. general and speclilc' Oh
health matters and IN popular
FERNS: 2. enforcement OF necessary
legislation.
The second depends on the first.
A community awake to the Danger
of insanitary environment Will oe-
mand enforcement of the law
community apathetic to the sanl-
tarv evils that obtain will not at
tempt a remedy.
Louisiana Is Fortunate
in having an adequate sanitary code
recently revised, and sufficient au-
thority vested in health officers TO
enforce rules and regulations for
the promotion of public health.
To quote from an article by Law
renee Villier: 1--WE have hitherto
not been civilized enough or intelll-
gent enough to spend money for the
preservation of health The health
department of almost every city and
state of the Union is terribly under
manned. 1t can not begin to do what
it knows to be, imperatively neces-
sary for public health welfare. The
budgets appropriate thousands OF
dollars for property protection TO
one for the protection of health.
This is one cause of laxity in en-
forcement of the law.
There is another, perhaps, equally
responsible for inactivity in health
affairs. It is the general custom OF
depending on the individual to re-
port as nuisance insanitary condi-
tions. Often, the only result of such
complaint is hard feelings" on the
part of neighbors with no abate-
ment of the nuisance. Inspection,
thorough, systematic and periodic is
the only method for elimination of
sanitary evils, in the first place, and
for permanence of excellence of
conditions.
Inspection Implies Intelligent Di-
rectiOn
and a trained force of sanitary eX-
perts, which implies also sufficient
amount to pay for this kind of SER
vice.
The people of this country expend
annually-v ten million dollars for
screening as protection from flies
and mosquitoes. No comment is
needed. With a 2i-cent health de-
partment Chicago can hold the
gross death rate under i6 per 1000
for a few years. 1t can hold the
number of deaths from diphtheria
at about 800; from scarlet fever at
about 600; typhoid at 800; and baby
deaths from summer complaint at
about 5000. A health department
spending 80 cents per capita should
put diphtheria to say 100 deaths per
year, scarlet fever to about 500, and
cut off 5 per cent>from consumption
mortality.
In cities of fewer inhabitants.
smaller amount per capita would be
sufficient to ensure freedom from
preventable disease, and in small
towns a proportionately decreasing
amount would avail, provided the
fundamentals of sanitary conditions
such as sewerage, water and sani-
tary conveniences were installed
and paid for.
1t IS common habit of mind to
estimate the cost of disease in terms
OF money only; but this is unim-
portant compared with other eIe-
ments. Lowered earning capacity
tendency toward vice and crime
race deterioration, and individual
Inefficlency result from ignorance
OF health laws and lack of applica-
ton of principles of hygiene. To
tolerate conditions conducive to in
efficiency and helplessness is both
uneconomic and unwise. Alternate
health machinery is an ounce of
prevention; without it a community
Pays the Pound of Cure
Conservation Of resources is the
dominant note of all modern effort
Inc health of its citizens is a ma
tons most valuable asset. To con
serve material things, land and for
est, water and minerals. without
provision for the conservation Of
that which is basic-fundamental-
IS most unwise and unethical.
The social structure of TODAY i