The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-04-05
YOUR HEALTH AND THE WAR
Little Talks on Health and Hygiene by
Samuel G. Dixon, NJ. D., IL. D.,
Commissioner Of Health.

If we are to go to war, let US
have the lesson of the tremend-
Gus bearing of health problems
on our armies camp and our cit
izens at home we'll learned be-
forehand so that we may not
have to learn it by bitter and cal
amitous experience. 1t would
seem to be a late date to have to
point out the almost self-evident
fact that sickness will decrease
the national efficiency by just so
much whether it be among SOL
diers or non-combatants, but the
general public does not yet give
enough attention to this aspect
of wars demands, the accent be-
ing placed on more spectacular
elements of preparedness.
Each individual must consider
himself a unit of our great popu-
lation to be kept able to meet
whatever comes along. If there
was ever a time when the indi-
vidual had the duty of taking
thought of how he could keep in
good health, it is now.
One of the first elements of the
health of a nation at war or at
peace, for that matter is it's food.
1t cannot be healthy and strong
without good food and plenty of
it. Therefore agriculture and
gardening must be intelligently
and intensively stimulated, so
that larger crops shall be brought
forth.
The housewives task will be to
economize the food supply and
cook it with skill, so as to make
her meals tasty and digestible.
The streams from which our
domestic water supply comes
should be carefully guarded
against pollution, so that COM
munities shall not run the risk of
being infected with some deadly
disease.
Vaccination against typhoid is
a valuable step in preparedness
under conditions as they are at
present. and the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, through the
agents of the Department of
Health, is prepared to give the
virus for vaccination to those
who cannot afford to purchase it.
While our water supplies have
been improved in the Common
wealth so that typhoid fever has
been cut down rs per cent. vac
cination against it during this
emergency should bridge us over
a period when we must attain
highest efficiency of health and
give the health departments
throughout the Commonwealth
time to continue their work of re-
ducing the pollutions of our
streams, and enable our people
to go with their daily labors and
produce food and all other things
necessary for US to maintain our
strength during any war.
Smallpox is a loathsome dis
ease that is often fatal and under
the best of circumstances creates
a long period of incapacity for
work and one which demands the
strictest kind of quarantining of
all who may occupy the same
home. This can be absolutely
prevented by vaccination. The
presence or smallpox would
greatly handicap the efficiency of
our great Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania in serving the ma
ton in time of war;,
The Life Extension Institute,
with whom we are working, has
estimated that nearly half the
body building food and 70 per
cent. of the sustaining food on
American tables is derived from
grains such as wheat, oats, corn,
rye barley, rice and buckwheat,
and that these grains are to the
human machinery what GOALS to
manufacturing industries, the
great source of heat and power.
The time has come to consider
these matters in a snirit of nat