Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1916-10-13
STATE FEDERATION
OF WOMEN'S CLUBS
Mrs. SCION Shedd, President
~ tho club Women of the State Of
Washington:

Washington NOW SHOWS Tue IONesl
,ooth rate of any state in the Union.
rh;s is not at all surprising. In fact,
Nth our sparsely settled conditions,
orr favorable climatic influences,
and our age distribution, we would
no entitled to the most severe con-
ANIMATION if we did not show a re-
markably low death rate.
This low death rate can be main
.o;ned. but it will require work, and
hard work, to accomplish this end.
:. can not be accomplished under the
nresent system of 325 men deyoting
very small portion of their time to
nuhlic health work. The effort will
rocuire the entire time of sufficient
mon and women, and it is the intent
90 what is known as THE whole-time
health officer bill" to be introduced
at the next legislature, to provide for
this fight.
This bill provides for dividing the
state into Is districts and appointing
health officer for each district, one
who will devote his entire time to
public health work. In addition, it
proyides that there shall be appoint
ed nurses and sanitary inspectors to
work under the supervision of such
health officers.
Public health is not confined to
what is commonly known as prevent
able diseases but extends to all con-
ditions that may tend to favor i'm
provement in health. One of the
functions of the district health Of
ficers will be that of making free ex-
aminations of urine for any citizen of
the state who may desire such eX
animation. The work of life insur-
the fact that a large per cent of peo-
pie who apply for insurance are
suffering from diseases of the kid
neys, which they never suspect. Free
examination of the urine would de-
tect these diseases sufficiently early
in their progress to enable the
physician to promote a cure. There
has been no study made of the per
cent of people in insane asylums of
our state who are there as a result of
syphilis, but a thorough study in
Massachusetts, shows that - per cent
of the inmates of the asylums are
there as a result of such diseases.
Had diagnosis of this disease been
made early, these people would not
be charges upon the state. What is
known as the Wasserman test is an
ual but under the whole time health
officer law such tests will be made
free of charge to the poor of our
state, and thus a great saving will be
accomplished, not only in reducing
the number of inmates in our asy-
lums, but in reducing cost to our
communities in the care of the poor,
Tor many Of these undiagnosed cases
become permanent charges upon our
counties.
The influence of the public health
nurse hardly needs consideration, but
simply as an illustration of her
financial value, l call attention to the
TACT that the Metropolitan Life In
surance company is spending more
money in the employment of nurses
70 visit their industrial policy hold
ers in the state of Washington, than
is the state of Washington expending
LOT her entire public health work.
me examination of our school
children is necessary in order that
delects may be detected early and in
order that the presence of communi-
cable diseases in our schools may be
eliminated and the spread of such
diseases prevented. A large per cent
vi young mothers in our state, as
well as in other states, have little
conception of how to care for the
paOy. She will receive instructions
III these matters through whole-time
health officers and their assistants.
under the present system the local
health officer, a physician engaged in
Tue practice of medicine, can not af-
.Oru TO order his best paying patient
" clean up his premises. The whole
Nine health officer, also a physician,
VIII not be thus embarrassed in the
performance Of his duties. The san
,'ary Inspector will not be beholden
!" the prominent citizen of the COM
.unity for his income, and can there
'Ore' without fear or favor, locate
@uo remove sources of disease.
our two principal cities, Seattle
aau spokane, have whole-time health
ulcers. AS result of their work
.ue death rate in these cities has
Veeh so reduced as to make every
v'ner city in this country of similar
''1e jealous of them. Yakima
.ounty has whole-time health Of