The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-12-19
HEALTH
BIG QUESTION
Health League Arranges for
Big Meeting on the Eighth
of January
PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE:
MUCH MORE is NEEDED

MUCH NUKE is NEEDED
What is Needed in Raleigh is Intel
igent Cooperation From the Great
Body of the Citizen-They Must
Uphold the Hands of Public OH
Gals and Be So Alive That Health
Officers Will do Their Duty.
To the Editor: The Raleigh Health
League was formed a little over a
year ago n we believe has already
had considerable influence on health
matters in Raleigh. A meeting of the
League, to which the public will be
invited, is being arranged for Jan
uary 9th, if that date shall prove con-
venient. Meantime it is desired to
call the attention Of all citizens to the
Importance Of this subject, and to
what has been lone and the work still
to be done in order that as many as
| possible may come to that meeting,
and, whether they come or not, at
least join in efforts for the best health
Of Raleigh.
On November 8, 1910, a letter was
sent to several hundred of our citi-
| Zens, which was a confidential letter,
and was not for publication. In this
1t was stated hat our death rate was
28.8, although the average death rate
per thousand is Is for the United
States. Strenuous objection was made
to having this information given ever
to u own citizens on the mistaken
| ground that it would never do to have
anybody know about it, and that it
was better to keep quiet or the sub
ject. Of course it was perfectly evi-
dent to thoughtful people that the
United States census would make the
subject public property anyhow. At
| least the citizens were warned, and
the matter was gone over in quite a
large meeting of the league. It was
further found hat If we leave out
the deaths in all the hospitals and
other public institutions the death
rate for Raleigh at that time was at
least 1913, and that the deaths from
tuberculosis and typhoid fever were
Tar larger than they ought to be &C
cOrding to the average rate. Previous
statements had been printed, without
much care in a~scertaining their truth,
that the death rate OF Raleigh was
10. or IL. per thousand. The League
considered it very much better to
know the truth than to lun ourselves
with a false sense of security by think
ing we had a death rate less than
half Of the true one.
The work Of the Health League is
largely a work Of education, and the
change in public sentiment in any re-
spect with regard to health is partly
due to the League, n at least is
what the League is principally inter-
ested in. The main work of the
League is carried out through its com
mittees. A great deal Of work has
been done, and public sentiment has
to a certain extent been influenced
II what follows it is not intended to
claim that the things mentioned have
been accomplished by the League, but
only to sum UP as a preliminary Tor
the thought Of our people in prepara
ton for the next meeting of the
League, and to show what has been
cone in matters of health, in which
the League is trying to do its best
work.
Many meetings of various kinds
have been held. The WOman's Club,
which has always worked on health
matters. has done excellent work re-
Gently in connection with the Health
League. The Chamber of Commerce
has also taken up the matter 'lgor-
ousIy. The pers nave done
splendid work, and have co-opeTated
in every way by printing a large
number of articles OF various sorts
by members of the League
and others, and also by publishing
editorials of their own.
The health of the white people OF
Raleigh is dependent on the health OF
the colored people. No man can keep
healthy unless all of his n~eighbors
are healthy. Therefore the health OF
the colored people is OF the utmost
Importance to the health Of Raleigh.
A Health League among n coloreo
peopIe in Raleigh was formed. n
another among the colored people OF
Oberlin, and members Of the RaIelgh
League addressed several meetings OF
10th Of these leagues among the col
cred people.
Eyarvhody in Raleigh now hates