The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-12-07

Under the subject, Public Health, we
must consider all measures and regu-
lations designed to prevent disease. In
health includes the hygienic condition
of the environment, climate. soil, house
sites, air space, water supplies, drain
age food supplies, the sanitation of
trades, the disposal of refuse, the dis
posaA OF the dead, the management Of
infectious disease. anu generally. all
the conditions that may directly or in
directly fn5ure the health Of the indi-
vt1zzaas or prevent him from attaining
to the fun development Of his body.
Many or these ends are attained by
special city ordinances and state and
national laws. Sanitary legislation in
the middle or the nineteenth century
was founded largely on a more or less
instructive dread Of bad odors and the
dangers Of miaSmatic influences.
With the rise of the germ theory Of
disease. following the works Of Pass
tuer and Koch. with the positive DEM
ongtratfon OF the direct relation be-
tween water ard milk supplies and dis
ease. with the discovery that mosque
toes carry malaria and yellow fever.
and with the preparation of antitox1n
and other curative Sera, men no longer
fought in the dark, and It became pos
Slble TO wage a most effective war
AGAINST the enemies of mankind.
Knowledge had given us power.
Human life has been greatly pro-
longOd by the applications Of modern
scientific sanitation, and 1t Is estim-
boz added to the average life in the
United States by the application of
principles with which we are already
familiar.
National Health Bureau.
The United States public health
service is the most important national
bureau dealing with health. The de-
partment of agriculture enforces the
pure food law through the power to
control interstate commerce. The
state boards Of health are the agents
best fitted to deal with statewide
problems. The study and control of
outbreaks Of epidemic disease, and the
education Of the people In the Drinci-
most useful of a state boards func-
fions. The national and state govern
ments can do much, but the principal
agency in the campaign for public
health is the health depar tment of your
city backed up by the right kind of
public sentiment.
The suppression Of tuberculosis and
the reduction OF infant mortality, and
In fact, the prevention OF all preventa-
BILE diseases, are local problems which
require intimate personal knowledge
and personal contact for their solution
In all matters pertaining to health,
ability and character Of the men who
are to enforce the health laws should
bio OF prime Importance.
Realing With Nuisances.
II Is within the province Of health
boards to deal with all nuisances,
which include all conditions which are
offensive or injurious to health; among
these may be mentioned the disposal
of decomposing organic matters, the
regulation of stables and cesspools,
offensive trades. laws to prevent stag
nant water. smoking chimneys, etc.
The stagnant water and manure in
and about stables furnish opportunity
for the breeding Of mosquitoes and
flies, which we all know spread dis
ease The inspection of tenements,
factories and schools should properly
come under the duties Of the local and
state health boards. This inspection
should not stop with the inmates of
these institutions. but should go fur
Their. and take into consideration the
amount of ventilation, air space, and
dust as contributory causes of tuber-
cu1osfs.
Milk Ordinances a Farce.
The most important foods from a
sanitary standpoint, from a public
health point OF view, are water and
milk; and right here, let me tell you
that our present milk ordinance is a
farce. Section of the city code
provides that the inspector OF milk