The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-09-14
TELLS PUBLIC HOW
TO AVOID ILLNESS
Education Greatest Factor In
Preventing Disease.
WHAT new YORK is DOING.

Department Of Health nrediateIy
Sends Mother Papers Telling What
to Do to Keep the Youngstor In Per-
feet Physical Condition.
efficient birth reporting, such as
we are now securing in New York
state, is essential In carrying on an
effective infant welfare campaign.
Every time birth Is reported the
state department of health sends to the
mother circulars dealing with child
welfare" said G. r. A. Winsow. di-
rector of the division of publicity and
education Of the health board, in re.
cent address at Rochester.
1T is unnecessary TO argue before
the American Public Health associa-
ton as to the importance of public
health education as factor in the pre-
vention of preventable disease.
ut was in the campaign against tu-
berculosis that the Importance of
reaching the individual citizen and
teaching him about the conduct of his
| individual life was first definitely
grasped. In the case Of this disease 1t
was quite clear that the most impor-
tant Of all measures were those which
built up the vital resistance of the
| body and maintained the fighting edge
which is SO effective against this par
ticular microbic enemy. Sanitary shops
and tenements were needed; the sani-
tary care of sputum was needed but,
above all, healthy habits Of individu
al living We're essential. Hence the
anti-tuberculosis movement became Il
great campaign of popular education.
1t was animated by new idea, the
idea of bringing hygienic knowledge
right to the individual in his home or
in his shop, and it developed new
machinery, new system Of organi-
cation, for bringing about this end.
| Conquest Of White Plague.
"In doing this work the medical and
sanitary experts, and particularly the
social workers, not only pointed the
way to a conquest of the great white
plague, but set in motion forces which
| are revOlutionizing the campaign for
public health In every field The same
thing has happened more recently in
the movement for the reduction of in
FAINT mortality.
Education is indeed the keynote Of
the modern campaign for public health.
tuberculosis and infant mortality are
pre-eminent among all the causes Of
preventable disease and death as the
greatest scourges, from the abatement
Of which the largest results for human
ity are to be attained. In each case
the fight must be won not merely by
the construction of public works, but
by altering the daily conduct Of the in
dividual life.
"The same thing is true with regard
to the spread of the acute contagia,
the burden Of infectious disease, the OBJ
scure i'll effects of defective eyes and
ears and teeth. In the campaign
against the degenerative diseases of
adult life, which progressive state and
!
tiating, the education Of the individual
is practically our only weapon. In
every one Of these cases the fight can
be won by spreading clear and definite
knowledge of the ways in which dis
ease is caused and the ways in which
it may be prevented.
"The general recognition Of these
fo onfp fs,x nd l,o hri n
of the art of public health education
must be elaborated and perfected dur
ing the next few years.
Educating the Public.
"The various activities, literature
lectures and exhibits, form almost ev
erywhere t. elements of the educa
tional public health campaign. One OF
the tasks of the future, as 1t seems tC
me, is to add to such training of the
individual In the elements of hygiene
and sanitation some definite plan OF
health organization which shall make
our health militia more effective fol
all necessary forms Of common action
, "Much progress has been made dur
ing the past decade in arousing public
sentiment as to the need for activities
along health lines. Many cOmmuni
ties now have infant welfare stations
visiting nurse associations. tuberculO
: sis committees and other organizations
which inclade health work more OF
less prominently in their programs.
, "If there were central health coun
ell in each community representing al
the various health activities 1t nigh,
, serve as valuable board Of strategy
for utilizing the health forces Of the
community to the best advantage
Such a central council would. OF
course, have no power to control the
action Of agencies already in existence
Its meetings, however, would act as
a clearing house for information as t.
y | IN tlnGI1ad dS