The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-03-25
TO HAVE HEALTH SURVEY.
STATE Health Ofacer to Send Men
Hero to Teach Sanitary Measares-
Urges Need Of County Health ON.
Ger,

urges Need Of County Hcaith ON.
Ger.
DR.. ]. A. Hayne. State Health Off.
Ger, has assured Secretary Reardon. Of
the Chamber Of Commerce that the
Stata Board Of Health will have a
complete health survey and educa.
ttonal campaign Of Sumter township
made early in the summer Of the
present year.
The health survey will consist of a
house to house visit by three govern.
ment expert sanitary inspectors who
will instruct householders how to
maintain proper sanitary conditions.
DR.. Hayne says that he hopes to keen
these three inspectors in Sumter
township for at least three months.
Secretary Reardon asked for a Unit.
cd States government health survey
OF the entire county Of S,imter, such
as is being conducted in Greenvil,e
county. But the federal government
would not make the survey in any
county that does not have a county
health oficer and county health board.
DIR. Hayne. however, was glad Of the
opportunity to have what is known as
the unit health survey made in
Sumter township.
3 Tho object OF selecting Sumter
township az the most important and
thickly populated part Of the county.
as explained by the commercial secre-
tary. is that in his years of experience
- the Sumter city health ofFicer. he
realized that there are many hundreds
OF houses and other buildings and
premises just outside OF Sumter that
arc thickly populated with human be-,
mss and animals. And that within
this adjacent suburban territory there
p practically no such thing as santa, !,
ston or sanitary supervision OF any
Find except when there occurs q
sporadic outbreak OF smallpox which
sshs state Board Of Health requires thu
county anthurities to look after. "a
s But unfortunately most Of the mora
serious or deadly types OF infectious
end CONTAGIOUS diseases such m tuber,
culosia typhoid and malarial fever.
nsrippe. diphtheraa. scarlet fever ana
tihdred malignant types Of contagious
diseases are not reported, quarantine,
q. or disinfected simply because there
ere no township or county health au.
lhortties 70 report to and no one to do
Hnything II they are reported.
i u true that the attending physi.
caans In the rural districts whore |
there are no county health oiacers,
nave exoficio authority Of health Of
fcer to enforce quarantine. disinfect.
etc., but this is an unsa tisSactoIy and
very poor method OF projecting the
public health, because few physicians
care TO assume the responsibilities
and duties of . public health ofiicer
without pay. And further more q |
practicins physician. u business
man. and he naturally doesn't care
p 5eoPardise. his practice or profes!
tonal business interests by making
any one mad enforcing quarantine
Avs by causing the arrest Of those
Hho fail to carry out hta Instructions
Tor protecting the public health. II
AZ q result 1t not infreausntiy hap
pens that children from infected
houses just outside the city limits at
tend schools in the city until the
learn OF the infectious or
disease at the house OUT
'tde the city and stop the children
from coming to school. In the mean
time tho damage is often done by tho
spread Of disease germs or bacteria
throush the infected clothing, hair.
hands. etc. Of the children from the
zone.
+ There are many other methods of
Infection and contasion from the un-
protected and quarantineless infected
suburban territory to the city by
means Of flies. mosquitoes, washing
heinz done In the infected zone for
city people infected articles Of various !
kind brought to the city, infected
produce. etc.
Or. Hayne said to Mr.. Reardon that
he had hoped such q widely known
and progressive county as Sumter
county Is known to be would have
long ago been one of the first coun.
ties to establish the Office OF county