The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-06-23

Health OltceTS ASSOtldlioh'
at the annual meeting OF the asSoCid-
ton last Monday.
In the selection of q subject as you
may note, | have given myself Wlue
latitude. have not undertaken to
produce n literary masterpiece. But
/ wish TO discuss in a CANDID ana
simple manner some Of the very I'M
portant public health problems now
paramount in our State.
A few years ago the famouS botan-
list, DR.. Asa Gray, was in ASheVllie
and in company with DR.. Westray
Battle and other friends. drove up
one of the mountain peaks near the
city. When the carriage was half way
TO the top, DR.. Gray had the driver
stop and he got out and made the
statement there by that mountain
roadside that there were more dli1er-
ent varieties Of floral life from that
point TO the top of Sunset Mountain
than could be found on the whole
continent OF Europe. He stated furth-
err that Every shrub growing In
earth's five ones could be made at
home in North Carolina. No state
In the Union has a greater variety OF
soil. We have only begun to scratch
the surface OF our great
in agriculture and manufacturing and
the possibilities are unlimited.
With all our wealth and opportun-
tiles for a great future we have our
DfODlef1S. WIN TIE pOSSlDlc cACcptioh
Of Mississippi we have a larger per-
centage of rural population-more
than S0-than any other State. We
are going to find that when we get
our vital statistics registrars to re-
porting accurately all deaths, that our
rural death rate from p~reventable dis
eases-preventable mine you-iS 60
ing to be very high. This is due to
many things, but chiefly to indiffer-
ence ana carelessness. You can change
the politics and religion Of a family
much easier than you can bring about
n change their habits and customs of
living.
Question Largely Rural.
AS mentioned above, with more
than eighty per cent of our entire
population a rural one the greater
part Of our public health policy must
deal with questions of a rural nature.
Sauitarians all over the world have
demonstrated beyond a doubt that it
is much easier to deal with the pre-
ventable disease question of cities or
urban communities than it is in the
country. Again, we have another ele-
ment of trouble for the public health
worker in our large negro population:
the great bulk Of whom have abso-
lutely no comprehension whatever Of
the meaning of hygiene and sanitation.
Their standard of living is low, their
surroundings nearly always bad, and
consequently they are a constant
source of anxiety to the health off
Ger. We have to deal with vice and
superstition among The negroes; pow
erty, ignorance n Indifference in a
great portion of the tenant white
class and carelessness and selfishness
on the part of many well-to-do people
So we see that for some time to come
our work must continue to be OF
more Importance from an educationa
standpoint than any other. The place
to deliver our most telling blows il
In the schools. We must instil intt
the very bone and marrow of tn,
next generation the Importance of
radical change in the living condition,
of people who would profit by tn
findings OF science instead Of follow
Ing the blind paths Of precedence. II
other words they must get the de;
inbred that eau their father
died from typhoid fever is no excus
why people should keep on dying from
the disease.
The city health officer has NOR
Intelligent cooperation, if not NOR
intelligent sympathetic at least, in tn
help Of the mayor and the polio
force, and what is Of more import
ance. more money to carry on tn
work. People in the countr are i
greater need Of sanitary improve
ments in living conditions, but tn
task of accomplishment is seemingl
III IiupOSSiDIc, aIo ycl ~ IL WOI
that must be done.
In health matters as in everythin
else. IL Is customary to help that con
munity most which is making create
progress in helping itself. ITO hi
that hath hall be given Howeve
just and eXpedient such a policy ma
be il works a hardship on a commun
~ which is too ignorant or too poo
to help itself. And that a1arge pc
ton of our population live in rur,
sections which are backward and il
accessible is a fact no one can deny.
Success Sure to Come.
= On the other hand, with our max
shift compulsory school law, with I'll
elevation of-teaching standards, wi,
better school houses, and with the b
ginning OF medical inspection Of scho
children already instituted and brin
ing results in several counties, wi
It's attendant discussions of hygiel
ana sanitation, success will com
gradually, but surely.
The amount OF work that has a
ready been done is an achieveme
in itself.
To my mind there have been thr