The Adair County news., 1915-03-03
HEALTH OFFICERS COLUMN.
BY u. L. TAYLOR.

towards disease, and particularly in
that phase of disease known as pre-
ventable disease. But, through our
own carelessness and unwillingness to
conform to the teachings of the men
| who know we are still bearing an
enormous burden resulting directly
from contagious disease. What we
must do and do at once, if our de-
scendents are to enjoy health and hap
pineSS, is to cooperate in whole
hearted, conscientious way to prevent
this future evil, and the only way in
which this can be done is by bringing
every one to see the possible results to
be achieved. People must be igno-
rant of these facts or they would not
do as they do. A single instance will
prove the correctness OF this state
ment- Over one hundred years ago,
Edward Jenner discovered a vaccine
which would render a person who was
inoculated. immune from smallpox.
Now careful study made during the
past few years has shown that prac-
tically every victim of smallpox had
not been vaccinated 1t is obvious
that if every person would be vacci-
mated, smallpox would soon cease to
exist, for it owes its continued healthy
existence to the fact that it is trans
mitted from one person having the
disease to another. 1t would be very
simple, would it not, for every one to
be vaccinated, and the expense in COM
parison with the expense caused by
the Sickness not to mention the hor-
rible disfgurements which often times
follow, would be very slight. There
are of course, certain persons who are
opposed to vaccination, just as there
are persons who are opposed to every
good movement. The opposition,
however, is conspicuous mainly by its
minority:
And again, science has furnished US
with a vaccine which will render a
person immune to typhoid fever.
Large experiments have been conduct
ed in the army with results that are
absolutely conclusive of the SoundnesS
of the theory. There is not a person
OF twenty-one perhaps. who reads in
telligently that Is not aware of these
facts. Practically all State boards of
health have made arrangements for a
free distribution of the vaccines.
And yet how many have taken advan-
tage of them? The percentage is so
small that l feel ashamed to mention
it. In the light of the foregoing facts,
there can be only one conclusion
drawn. You do not realize that pre-
ventable disease can be prevented.
BY preventable disease, l mean con-
tagious disease, as tuberculosis, small
pox, typhoid fever, scarlet fever.
whooping cough, measles and dipthe-
ria. The figures representing the
economic less from preyentable disease
in the United States during a single
year are almost unbelievable. But
when you know that in the city of
Chicago alone, the loss during six
months amounted to over six millions
of dollars, you can calculate what it
would be for the whole country.
This question confronts US. What is
to be done? Scientists who have de-
voted their lives to research have
shown US that there are ways and
means of preventing preventable dis
ease. They have even gone so far as
to lay down certain rules for US to fol-
low. But the ultimate success of
their endeavors is dependent upon our
actions. No health officer, however
efficient he may be, can secure results
alone. He must have not third or
half, but his entire community stand
ing by him. And every health officer
who has given any serious thought to
the work knows that this is the case.
Taking for granted that you know
what is to be done the next thing is
to do it, do it yourself and see that
your neighbor does it. If your town
has not ordinances stringent enough
to guarantee good health conditions,
see that such ordinances are passed,
and what is far more Important. see
that they are enforced. You will be
curtailing no mans liberty. Every
person has the right to do according to
the dictates of his own conscience, in
so far as these dictates do not inter
fere with the health, wealth and hap
pineSs of his neighbor. For instance,