The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1901-1982, 1913-04-17
an undoubted menace to health.


ton of patients with infectious dis
eases we are notably lax. Yet this,
understood as a preventive measure
for the community and carried out,
would be most helpful in the promo
ton of improved health conditions.
With the knowledge we now have of
the relation of health to mental activ-
lity and growth, it is objectionable
that our schools are not provided with
medical supervisors. 1t is a commun-
al crime to permit conditions which
devitalize the child's body, whether
they be those of school environment
or physical remedial defects. 1t is al
so an element of waste. Of the 20
million children in the schools about
8 million are said to be "repeaters' !;
many are so because of remedial de-
fects.
Equal in Importance are the ele-
ments, statistics and administration.
Reliable figures are the absolutely
necessary basis of modern scientific
health work. Without them there
can be no real progress.
I No part of the pubic service is so
undermanned and underpaid as the
health department. In none is effici-
ency so necessary. When paid in pro-
portion to the responsibility attached
and the training invoved, and freed
from political domination, the health
officer will be enabled to give the SER
vice required.
In the main, peope are quick to re-
spond to any kind of reform which is
presented acceptaby and reasonably.
For property protection there are
appropriations as high as $1.95 per
capita. For the pubic school system
of this country millions of dollars are
voted annually The people believe in
fire protection; they believe in edu-
cation, hence their willingness to sup
port these two systems. When they
learn to have confidence in the health
scientist, and become convinced as to
the primary Importance OF health
budget from that of today, which, to
our disgrace, runs from one to forty
cents, being in majority of states
less than five cents per inhabitant. 70
insure protection against a possible
foe, in 1912, the United States spent
nearly three dollars per capita. With
in our borders there are untold mil
lions of enemies to our health and
comfort against which we must bat
tie with less than five cents per the
inhabitant.
For more efficient work there must
be first a knowledge of conditions. We
know that sanitary evils exist. We
know that we are the victims of by
gienic carelessness, but we do not face
the situation, we refuse to take any
stock. A total of 500 inspections,
covering the work of thirty months,
gives a record of more than 1000 food
suppy places condemned and many
others given the alternative, "clean
up or shut up" Yet, my own state IS
no worse than any other. Did the
people of these communities know that
the markets and slaughter pens were
filthy. the bakeries unscreened, the
owners of restaurants and grocery
stores violating every law of cleanli-
ness? In a sub-conscious way, yes.
Have you visited the dairy from
which you buy milk? Are the cows
and the mixers clean? Have the an
imals been tested for tuberculosis?
Have you had an epidemic of typhoid?
Was unclean milk or water the initial
cause? If so, is it not communal
crime? Have you ever seen the butch
er cut the steak served on your Ia
BILE? Were his utensils and tables
clean, or were there maggots under
the oil cloth? Is the bread wrapped,
or is each loaf covered with 1,240 900
bacteria? Have you had loaf eX-
amined in the laboratory? Would 1T
trouble you to know that bacillus coli
were found on the bread served on
your table this morning? Is the
school where your children spend five
hours day clean? If you can an
swer these questions from personal
observation very few citizens cam
on tn the head of the class in commu-
nifty hygiene.
+ In this day of fierce competition the
producer is driven to do what ne
thinks best for himself If he can
sell sick animal he does it-you may
think ne will not, but supervision re-
veals the practice. If patrons do not
complain of a dirty bakery and con-
Itinue to buy unwrapped bread with