Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1916-02-20
ALL GRAND JUR|Es
SHOULD APPOINT.
HEALTH OFFICERS
(By Emory r. Park, M. d.

maui tAdh III ueulClne. his science
was tail-ender for centuries, but
within the last fifty years it has surg
ed forward by leaps and bounds and
today the doctor is possessed of so
much useful knowledge that he is Just
ly entitled to take a seat among the
foremost men of the times. For hun
dreds of years doctors and the general
run Of the people were alike ignor-
ant of the fact that many of the ills
that flesh is heir to could be prevented.
History tells us of horried pestilences
that swept over the world leaving
thousands of corpses and millions of
human wrecks in their wake Not ba-
ing able to explain these in any other
way, the people of those times attri-
buted them to the wrath of revenge
full Providence. Today, however, after
years of hard study and of unceasing
work, medical men know that sick
ness is more often than not the result
Of the violation by the people of GER
tain laws Of health. Many of these
laws have been discovered and many
things that once were looked upon as
mysteries too deep to be fathomed are
now thoroughly understood by med
ical men. Not only do medical men
know in most instances what causes
disease, but they have also found out
ways by which these causes can be
eliminated. For the general welfare
of the world. however, it is not suffi-
cient that this extremely valuable in
formation should be locked up in the
possession of the medical profession
every man, woman, and child should
know about these things-for so long
as the general public remains ignor-
ant of the fundamental laws of health,
just SO long will the people continue
to be stricken by preventive maladies
and just so long will thousands of
untimely graves yawn for their vic
tins.
Fortunately, the general run of ply
sicians are humane enough to be will
ing to teach the people how to keep
well, but unfortunately they are so
rushed trying to rescue those already
attacked by disease that little time is
tleft them to look after the work of
preventing more sickness.
The result is that the public remains
i'll ignorance, and the fires of disease
continue to burn and consume, re-
CARELESS of the fact that the knowl-
edge and means of extinguishing them
are at hand.
These things being true, the idea
naturally suggests itself: Why
wouldn't it be good idea for a COM
n'unity to employ man possessed of
the necessary knowledge to give his
entire time teaching the people how
to keep diseases away? The fact is
that many communities have already
acted upon the above line of thought
and have hired themselves a physic-
ian, requiring him to give his entire
time to the work Of suppressing dis
ease in those communities. The eff.
feet in such localities has been to de-
crease greatly the prevalence Of such
Taaladies as typhoid fever, consump-
ton, smallpox, diptheria, scarlet few
or, meningitis, dysentery, malaria, and
many others. The scheme has been so
thoroughly tried out that it has ceased
to be an experiment-its worth has
been actually established. If 1t is a
good thing for some of our counties. !
then it is good thing for all of them,
ard it is sincerely to be hoped that
every county will soon have a full !
time health officer whose entire time
ard knowledge will be given to the
great work of Kidding our countries of
diseases which are now, through lack
of proper supervision being allowed
to MAIN and kill our wives, husbands,
mothers, fathers, sweethearts and
children.
Two successive grand juries, under !
tie Ellis Public Health Law, have it in