Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-12-31
Important Features of the
Whole-time Health work
For City and County.
Or. DELIVER TWO HENDERsONFILE
ON M.

1t is earnestly desired that every
person who has the welfare of Hen
Jacksonville. and of Henderson county
1T heart, be sure ana attend at least
one of the meetings a. the court house
on Friday, January 1st. Do not let
anything prevent your thus showing
a real interest in most laudable
movement.
DR.. Rankin, the state board of health
expert of Raleigh, North Carolina,
will address two meetings.; one in the
afternoon at 1880, the other at night
at s o'clock. Originally it was thought
that there would be but one public
speaking, but owing to the fact that
country people cannot easily get into
the meeting at night, DIR. Rankin will
make an. address at 1:30 P. M. on the
public health needs more particularly
of rural sections. Rural sanitation is
indeed a most timely subject, one
needing serious consideration.
The aim of those having this matter
at heart is to give, not only Hender-
sonville but rather the whole of Hen
derson county, the benefits of a whole
time health officer. 1t is very much
to be hoped that a large number of
our country people will come out for
the 1:30 P. nj. meeting. Immediately
following this meeting there will be
combined meeting of the county COM
missioners, the city commissioners
and the county board of health. At
this meeting we hope to perfect the
machinery for putting into operation
this most necessary work. DR.. Rank
in comes here for the specific purpose
to help us. This is part of the work
Of the North Carolina Board of Health.
At the meeting at night DIR. Rankin
will cover the entire subject of public
health work. Every one admits that
something must be done in our COM
munity in the way of organizing for
better health conditions Every one,
nearly wants, to see this done at the
earliest possible moment. Let all
therefore, who are interested in
healthier, as well as greater Hender-
sonville, show it by coming to the
meeting Friday night.-Prepared at re-
quest of the Democrat by DR.. L. B.
Morse.
The Economic Value of the Whole
Time Health Officer and Pub
lie Hospital.
Man is doomed to wage eternal COM
bat with disease. The cost of the fight
in money, pain. death and loss of time
is stupendous. Basing the statistics
On the mortality from ninety different
diseases in the United States, it has
been plainly shown that the practical
adoption of those laws of Hygiene.
which are always taught by a whole
time health officer, will add fifteen
years to the average span of human
life
It is evident that every premature
death entails an economic loss upon
society, varying according to the age
OIL the person dying. Tt is computed
that the newborn child has a money
value of ninety dollars, which in
creases to nine hundred and sixty dol
lars at five years, four thousand dol
lars at twenty-years, and drops again
to $4,000 at fifty years. The minimum
average loss to society, from each pre-
ventable death, has been figured at
seventeen hundred dollars. Of the
one million, five hundred thousand
deaths in the United States, each year,
the best medical authorities regard
at least 40 per cent to be preventable.
But this is not half the story, for each
unnecessary death there are many
cases of unnecessary illness. The to-
tai cost of which, counting wages lost,
amounts to billions of dollars more.
Americas leading authority on pre-
ventive medicine believes that it is IL
the power of any intelligent commu-
nifty, in fact, it is in the power Of the
United States, to double the productive
efficiency of it's citizens by public hos
ritals and whole time health officers.
He states that the United States is
suffering from prevenable diseases
each year over two billion dollars, or
more than four times the total amount
spent on public education.
There are many places in the Unit
ed States that are fighting disease
through the county hospitals and
whole time health officers. Go and
examine their death rates; their cpl
demic reports; examine also the stand
ing of their children in school and
you will find the death rate greatly
lowered; epidemics greatly lessened,
and school children making greater
progress in school. A county hospital.
and a whole time health officer pre-
vents waste: saves life; 1engthens life
End puts children where they can avail
themselves of the money we are spend
ing on education .-Greenville Refec-
tor.
Medical Inspection of School Children.
The Virginia Journal nf Education
according to the Norfolk Virginian-
Pilot, is firmly of the opiuion that the
time has come when medical inspee-
ton of school children should he made