The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-07-10
HEALTH OFFICER
FILES HIS REPORT
DR.. L. N. Yost, County Ply
stefan, Shows Health Is
Unusually Good.

County Physician DR.. L. " Yost
submits his annual report which shows
that Marion county has been blessed
with healthful conditions during the
past year.
DR.. Yost's report is as follows:
Fairmont, July l. 1915.
To the Honorable County Court OF
Marion County:
Gentlemen:-It is with great deal
Of pleasure as well as personal pride
that ! am able TO submit the follow
ing annual report OF the years work
done in the Department OF Health OF
Marion county.
In this report will attempt to show
TO your honorable body that money
spent in this department is well spent,
and that in proportion 10 the amount
spent the taxpayers OF this county are
returned greater assets than in many
other departments.
This being the four year Of my
term OF Office as county health officer
Of this county, can now speak with
some knowledge OF the health and san
itary conditions in Marion county.
1t has taken a great deal OF hard
work to get the people OF this county
acquainted with the work that board
OF health Is expected TO accomplish.
and while this work Is far from being
accomplished, vet we are glad to In
form you that the citizens Of this
county are beginning to see the bene-
fits they are receiving from the work
being done, and We fully believe that
it will not be long until Marion coun-
~ will be able to publish to the world
that our county is one OF the healthtest
In the country.
This is day Of preventative medf-
cine" or public health and santa
ton" and If the citizens will investi-
gate and read what is being done
along this line in the whole United
States they will soon see that 1t pays
10 keep clean. Marion county was
one OF the few counties that was able
TO report that there were no cases OF
smallpox during the year and as there
was over $500 cases Of this disease
reported in West Virginia last year,
we feel that this was good report.
taking into consideration that Marion
county has several hundred worKlns
men during this last winter from all
parts OF the country.
When the citizens realize that this
disease is easy preventatle by being
vaccinated and have this done, small
pox will not be coming up so often.
In this the citizens Of West Virginia
are behind other states.
But 1t is OF typhoid fever we want
to speak, for it is from this disease
Marion county has been comparative
" free. due. we are free to say. to
the education that this is one OF the
easiest diseases TO escape, and the
work that we have been trying to &C
complish is that public sanitation will
accomplish so much. 1t is here the
citizens can do much to prevent this
disease. and we have spent much "a
Dor and time to educate the people
how to prevent this trouble.
Our work along this line has been
by personal talks, public lectures,
health notices through the press, and
other methods.
We have visited about all parts OF
the county where this disease has
seemed to prevail. meeting the people
and giving them the information that
will prevent sickness. We spent six
weeks in a campaign with the county
agricultural agent, Mr.. Smith, in
course OF lectures, exhibiting lantern
slides on public health and sanitation;
how the housefy causes much sick
ness and how to prevent its spread.
In this campaign We believe we accom-
plished much good, and Will continue
the same work this coming year on
a more extended scale.
There has been but few cases OF
diphtheria and scarlet fever, and
where antitoxin has been used early
in diphtherla, the results have been OF
the best. When the people learn that
this disease need not be fatal where
this is used in large doses, and early.
there need not be many deaths, and
when they hear that scarlattna is scar
let fever, one and the same, and the
same precautions taken, there Will not
he much OF this disease spreading. 1t
Is here we desire to emphasize the
great blessing OF anti-typhoid vacclna-
ton which prevents contracting ty-
phoid fever. The reports from the
National Board Of Health and the ..
S. Army have astontshed the whole
world, and we want to advice that
very person who has not had typhoid
fever, TO take the vaccination. We ad-
wise this, for we are backed up by
ithe best authority. viz, National Pub
lie Service.
We attended the meeting Of county
health officers at Charleston in April,
and at the suggestion Of the president
Of the State Board Of Health, read
paper on our work and results IN Ma
ron county, for which We received
honorary mention.
The following statistics will give
YOU some idea OF the work done as
county physician: Number OF pa.
Etients prescribed in jail, 3l5; number
Of outcalls, las; calls TO county home.
Ito: sanitary inspectional calls, lis;
insane examined, IS; examinations for
reform school, s; quarantined for scar
LET fever and diphtheria, 5; smallpox
suspects examined, in which no cases
we're found, 10. You viii see from
this that there has been much work
for the department OF health.
We also find that during the year
there we're "A marriage licenses is
med. 654 deaths and 1000 births.
These statistics are interesting, and
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