The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1912-08-29
A DISCUSSION OF
THE CITY'S HEALTH
SECRETARY BOARD OF HEALTH
WRITES AN INTERESTING
ARTICLE.

N6g Sou L64Aeu an dDl6 6QllOTlal lG2QeQ
A City, State and National Disgrace.
IN which appeared facts concerning the
prevalence Of typhoid fever in the
city OF Atlanta, with death rate from
that disease of more than so per 1oo,-
coo Inhabitants, standing third among
the cities of the United States. in the
grip Of that dread yet preventable
disease. The editorial further out
lines the well known measures used
N the prevention of the malady, call
ing attention to the fly as the most
frequent carrier OF the germs; the
proper milk inspection and the care
OF and disposition of infected excreta.
1t also mentions the fact that in and
around Atlanta, there are II ,0G0 sur
face closets, each a breeder and pur-
veyor through flies of the typhoid
germ, constituting our most serious
menace. They must be eliminated
every one Of them"
Now, here is where Brunswick and
her health authorities and city council
score. Brunswick has at present 100
surface closets, breeders and infection
grounds for flies, but at the meeting
OF city council Monday night there was
adopted an ideal ordinance for the
early installation Of sasitary, fiy-tight,
ventilated closets in place of every
one of the old style, unsanitary, I'M
slightly and disease breeding open
surface closets. Something TO blow
about. But this is the mere beginning
In the Constitution editorial which,
OF course, was only meant for home
consumption, is stated further, dairy
inspection is inadequate almost to the
point Of farce, while the health Off
meteorological examinations OF milk
from Brunswick diaries with view
10 establishing, if possible, the purest,
most sanitary and healthful milk OBJ
tainable Improving not only The milk
itself but the methods OF handling
and delivering that will insure mini
mum bacterial content. That he IS
slowly but surely succeeding, one has
but to 90 10 his laboratory and read
his figures.
Now, for the next editorial, from
The Brunswick News of yesterday,
headed Secretary Wetherly Comes.
Among the many earnest and timely
suggestions for cooperation on the
part of the entire citizenry are found
the statements, in such work as he
is to undwertake here results do not
show as speedily as they might" and
we should not expect to get results
IN TOO short a space of time" These
statements are doubly true in regard
10 health matters. Education in sani-
tation accomplishes results more sure
~ and lastingly than indiscriminate
legislation. European cites that have
succeeded in stamping out the ma
Jorty OF preYentaDle diseases have
ucne so by scientific and painstakng
! investigations, and then by educating
| both the masses and the classes
| Laws, the reason for which are not
| clearly understood by the masses are
difficult of enforcement, but in educa-
| mercial and sanitary advancement
Results may not come until ever!
single individual in the communit!
has realized that the composite health
OF his city is dependent upon his in
diyidual observance of every sanltar,
law. Unlike The industrial progress O
city, sanitation can suffer from IN
negligence of one person, or the law
infraction of one individual, whfs
the march of commercial interesNsI
not halted one moment by dolg
knockers. In no line of progress
cooperation so vital, so absolutely nee
essary, as in the care of the publ
health of any community. That a cit
is a close association of sanitary in
terests, and that these are place.
above all other considerations, is evi
denced by the fact that the municipal
ity appropriates on its budget NOR
for the maintenance of that depart
ment and its allied interests thai
|, for any other. A spirit of toleranc
and cooperation; close study of tn
methods and means by which tn
best ends may be attained in the i'm
provement of not only the mortalit,
but morbidity rate of the city will d.
more to attain those results in
shorter period of time than a tact
misunderstanding of the methods an,
criticism of the apparent slownes
of the evolution.
The commercial and sanitary inter
ests of a community must advance
1