The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1915-08-04
;Oard of Health
Is Handicapped
gislature of 1915 Ignorantly
Refuses Aid to One of States
Greatest Institutions
$4,000 LESS THAN 1914
lw Makers Allow More Money
to Aid in Hog Cholera Fight
Than for Human Aid

Just how did the 1915 legis-
ture leave the State Public
ealth work, ask many people.
L. H. w. Hill of the Minnesota
ubic Health Association an
wers that so far as county sana-
oria are concerned, they cut
he Advisory Commission re-
uests down to bare state-aid for
maintenance to sanatoria now
puilt or building; and refused
ny funds for state aid to coun-
les now looking forward to
building, except to the few who
nay begin building before Au-
gust first and even for these
he state aid is very limited.
Thirty per cent only of the
hmount requested was granted;
land this is less than half of the
amount available for the last
Two years.
| General public health work,
l)ther than county sanatoria, suf-
Tered even worse. Scarcely one
fourth Of the amount asked by
1.-The State Board of Health was
GRANTED; only one-sixth as much
WAS given for diptheria serum
for the human as was granted
lfor hog cholera serum; and the
Remaining funds were cut six
Thousand dollars lower than last
year, despite increases in de-
mands which already are beyond
the capacity of the existing
Istaff.
| Ignorance Is Cause
! The cause of this disaster to
the State seems to be generally
recognized as lack of education
of the legislators on public
health lines; and also lack of
the appreciation by the public
that some legislators require 10
cal pressure from their consti-
tuents before they will act pro-
gressively on public health SUBJ
jects. Braced up for a new cam
paign Of education for two
years by the cold bath thus ad-
ministered, the Minnesota Pub
lie Health Association hopes to
( secure a response from the pub
lie that Minnesota will never
again have to face the present
situation.
"Why is the State Board of
Health Laboratory not examin-
ing specimens of sputum as it
has for years past?" many peo-
pie ask DIR. A. J. Chesley, Di-
rector of the Division of Pre-
ventable Diseases answers:
"For the first time since this
work was started in 1894, be.
cause of insufficient funds it had
to be discontinued May Is, 1915
the next appropriation not be-
ing available until August l
1915, work cannot be resumed
until that date.
Increases Danger
Basing our estimate on the
1912 specimens examined in thu
first 412 months Of this year
sos will be missed on account
of this temporary closure of thu
laboratory. The inconvenience
occasioned to about 600 patients
and their physicians, though
great, is a trifing matter com
pared with the potential danger
TO families and associates.
Of course a definite diagnosis
should be made and treatmen
begun before the germs appeal
in the sputum, and the sputun
report used as a key for the con
troll of the infectious case. Blu
only a few cases are recognized
before the "open" stage; on
city of this state gives $3.50 O
the cases diagnosed by privat.
J physicians "open when reported
AT the same place 1870 OF tn
total cases reported were dis
covered first by the laborator.
examinations. Such is the con
dition in a locality fully equippe'
with a free dispensary, visitin,
nurses ard a sanatorium, in fac
with every means for the earl.
and convenient discovery o
cases. Throughout the Stat
then the number of undiscovere.
"open' cases must be great. |
I is hoped that with the reopen
ing of the laboratory Angus
Y first, all suspicious cases VII
have specimens examined"