The Sentinel=record., 1913-12-14
PUBLIC HEALTH A
 PUBLIC UTILITY
DOLLAR FOR SANITATION IS BUT A LOAN, DECLARES SURGEON
 GENERAL BLUE.
Any Nation, State or Municipality, Can Have Good Health if They Win Pty the Price,

New York, Dec. 13-"Public health Is a public utility A dollar laid out in sanitation is not an expenditure, but a loan, which will be returned an hundred fold" declared Surgeon Gen eral Rupert Blue of the United States Public Health Service here in an ad- dress before the Association of Life Insurance Presidents.
 Any municipality, state or nation can have public health if 1t will but pay the price continued the Surgeon General. The most needed reforms in public health administration are greater coppsrttion between public officials, the employment of full time workers, establishment of laborato- ries, accurate collection of vital statis- tics and the setting aside of sufficient funds to accomplish those things.
 "The future of sanitary admits tration in this country depends upon the interest which the citizens ttke in it's development There is no better index of the state of civilization of community than the manner in whicn it approaches its public health prob lens. There is still much room for reform in the sanitary administration of many states and municipalities III our country, and not the least impoT- tant duty devolvng upon the health officials of this Nation is the educa- ton of tlhe general public to the end that sanitary reforms will not only be accepted but will also be earnestly sought for.
 Our slow progress in the direction of perfect national health is due 10 the fact that the people have not as yet fully realized it's importance and have not demanded that protection against preventable disease which they have right to expect from their administrative officials. Neither have shey demanded leeislation and appro- priations which are essential to the successful prosecution of public health work. There are two main causes for the paucity of sanitary leg islation, public indifference and eco homie opposition.
 The feverish energy in sanitary matters which characterizes the gen eTal public in time of epidemic soon gives way to lethargy and indiifer- ence to public health matters The average individual is willing to take a chance of contracting disease when it seems a long way off, and it is only when it is close upon him and in spectacular form that he appre- ciates it's danger. A single case of leprosy in a city will create wide spread excitement while a thouseanO cases of measles, which in their final results are infinitely more dangerous, are permitted to occur without re- mark
 Results of the past decade Of stni- tary activity have been to prove that tine prolongation of life is entirely practicable, and this proongaton has been largely brought about by inn p7ovemeut in seanitary administra- ton. The time is not long since passed when the public health official who boldly pointed out the needs for sanitary improvement in the facto- ries of a wealthy corporation endan- pered his position. Today such crit icisms are gladly received and prompt ly acted upon, The efficiency of hut man machinery is quite as imporian as the efficiency of the other machin- cry of the factories. and the ~ealza- ton of this fact has resulted in anI extension of the powers and duties of the public health authorities
 The crudity of method and appa-I rttus of bygone days was only equatl- ed hy the administrative inehiciancy of that time. To cite concrete exam pies, the battles of Greasy and Agin court were won through the efforts of individual commanders supported by free companies having but a faint relation to the army as a whole. The greatest battle of modern times, fought between the Japanese and Rue sians at Mukden. was, on the contra ", carried Dy the Vlotors Only lhIouSH the concerted and integrating efforts of a vast fighting machine, the Va rious arms of which occupied miles of territory, yet operated with dead ly accuracy in which each and every part of the army discharged its dn- ties without endeavoring for indiYld- ual briliancy and with tue single aim Of interlocking efficiency without loss of power or time.
 The sanitary machine of this coun- try is a vast organization, reaching from the White House to the hum blest cottage in the United States The day has passed when by indiyid- ual brilliancy a battle against disea foes may be won without regard to the engagements which are going on all about us We live in an age in which efficiency is the slogan. We