The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-12-15

itant subject as public health and
sanitation. The subject of public
health is usually discussed under
two headings, that which deals with
the person ahygiehe), I which in
cludes the prevention of the COM
municable diseases, and sanitation
which deals with our environment
in it's relation to health and disease.
The progress of hygiene and SAM
tation has been SO rapid that the
subject of preventive medicine has
become a speciality, and it's scope so
broad that the question is rather
what to leave out than what to in
clude in an address which must nee
essarily be brief.
1t is almost impossible to prevent
or suppress communicable disease
without a knowledge of it's mode of
transmission. Therefore it is neces-
sary to have knowledge of the
scientific bases upon which the pre-
vention of disease and the mainten-
ance of health rests; for exact
knowledge has taken the place of
lads and fancies in hygiene and
sanitation; and preventive medicine
has become basic factor in sociol-
ogy and is the subject and admins
trative practice of it's own.
Sanitary science, though the
youngest of the physical sciences
has grown apace with other branch
es of medicine, and the sum of hy-
gienic knowledge has so developed
that if it were now thoroughly APP
piled to the conditions of human life
there would result wonderful
amelicration of disease.
Hence the work Of all health au-
'thorities becomes that of educating
the general r''hl'". The sanitary
administrator realizes that there are
certain things which the public
Nhealth authorities must do for the
body polite; that there are certain
things which the citizenship must
do for itself, and that there are GER
tain things which can be done only
Through the cooperation of the citi-
zenship with the health authorities,
This then makes educationof the
general public necessary, because it
must be informed as to it's need for
personal and public hygiene and
sanitation. 1t is through this med
ium the greatest good can only be
attained. might say here that the
sanitary hope of the future appar-
antly lies in the education of the
child of today, and this education
should begin in the kindergarten
and ertend through all of it's school
and college days; if this is done we
w illhave a nation of strong,
healthy, health loving people.
Hygiene is the art and scence
which considers the preservation,
promotion, and improvement of
health and the prevention of disease.
1t is no small achievement to so i'm
prove sanitary conditions, that the
death rate Of consumption has been
lowered more than "a per cent, that
for typhoid fever more than 81 per
cent, that for diphtheria more than
so per cent; and that the reduction
Of the general death rate has result
ed in the saving of many thousands
Of lives and prevented an incalcul-
able amount of sickness each year.
Much of this is due to education
in the principles of hygiene and the I,
practice of sanitation. and further
must depend upon the
instruction of people along lines ev-
Ell broader and more thorough than |
even befre. So it is the duty of the !
physician and health officer to be
able to recognize and corrert UNI
conditions wherever they
may be found.
Every true physician soon finds |
that the respect and affection of his |
patients and associates are worth
FAR more than mere mercinary gain,
and that his highest aim should be
to prevent disease rather than sim
ply to ucre it. And, though this may
seem to initiate against his personal
interest, he is unworthy the name
Of physician If his object and pur-
pose be solely or primarily to make
money However, you will quickly |
earn that in a community kept in
good health and sanitary condition
here will always be more or less
heed of a doctors services in spite
If every effort to prevent sickness,
Ind that such community will pay