The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-01
|DR. VIVIAN WRITES ON PUBLIC HEALTH New Science Which Re-
 quires Special Training COUNTS PROBLEM Thinks It Very Unfortunate to Have
 Politics Injected Into a Mat
 ter of Such Vital Importance
COUNTS PROBLEM

Dr. B. l.. Wyman has written state ment of the health situation in Birming- ham and Jefferson county, which will be read with interest. He calls special at cooperation in carrying on health work. He writes:
 To the Editor of The Age-Hera1d: | One of the most encouraging signs of ] the times is the increasing interest of all classes of our people in public health ac- tivities. Heretofore public health work has, to a large extent, been left in the hands of the medical profession and prog ress and actual accomplishment have been retarded on account of the lack of interest and cooperation on the part Of I the general public as well as state, county and municipal officials.
 Of first importance in the interest of eff f1ciency is the proper organization of 8 health department, the selection of health officials and defining the powers and duties of the executive
 It is deplorable fact, but nevertheless true. that the baneful influence of poll tics in public health work has hindered the development and growth of the mod ern and up-to-date health system. The ablest health officer and the most com prehensive system of public health is of little avail if politics controls
 AUTHORITY ON DISEASE a Professor Milton J. Rosenau of the medical department of Harvard uni versity, one of the ablest writers and authorities on communicable diseases, in the preface of his new work on preventive medicine and hygiene says:
 Exact knowledge has taken the place of fads and fancies in hygiene and sanita- tion; the capable health officer now pos i sesses facts concerning infections which permit their prevention and even their suppression in some instances. Many of these problems are complicated with eco- homie and social difficulties Therefore, preventive medicine has become a basic factor in sociology"
 To accomplish the best results in the prevention and control of communicable diseases the all-time specially trained health officer is an absolute necessity. The excellent unified system of public health as outlined and recommended for Jefferson county by Dr. Carol Fox of the United States public health service is one
 
 of view and if adopted and put into prac- tical operation will, in very short time, reduce to a minimum the number of com municable diseases in the city and county and render this rapidly growing district one of the healthiest sections of the south This work cannot be done eff ciently and successfully without the ex- penditure of money. The appropriation of SSo,OOO recommended as the minimum cost for maintenance is mere bagatelle for county with 300,00O population
 WISE INVESTMENT
 The expenditure of this money will prove wise investment and save the treasury of the county, as we'll as the people, thousands of dollars each year. Aside from humanitarian considerations the problem of improving the health con- dition of the county is an economic one of the greatest importance. One case of typhoid fever in a family costs at an extremely low estimate s100, and in many cases much larger amount is expended In July last during the typhoid outbreak in this city the Hillman hospital cared for as many as 50 patients with the dis ease in one month. Estimating the cost to the county in the care of this num- Der of typhoid patients, it will be seen at once how much could be saved by the prevention of a disease which is regarded by sanitarians as disgrace to any com- munity.
 DIR. FOX'S OUTLINE . So long as county officials refuse to appropriate the necessary funds for health administration and permit infec- tious diseases to go unchecked, we will continue to be regarded as a community who are indifferent to the best interest of the citizens. Dr. Fox has outlined the course of procedure and recommended a model system of public health for Jeff ferson county. It remains now for the board of revenue to cooperate and make adequate appropriation. The Fox plan includes the employment not .only of an all-time health officer trained in sani- tary science and preventive medicine but also an epidemiologist for the city of Bir- mingham, and one for the rural districts and in addition public health nurses and sanitary inspectors for the several dis tricts. The city commissioners have pro- vided in the annual budget for the citys share in the maintenance of the unified system.
 The board of revenue has authorized an all-time health officer and have provided for the payment of his salary. The county board of health, after careful survey of the situation and consultation, have elected pr. F. E. Harrington, trained sanitarian and health expert of the
  will install the unified health system in this county. He is a man of large expe- rience and thoroughly equipped for this important work and the county should be congratulated in securing his services
 Adequate organization in public health work is of prime importance and should be simple, in order to prevent duplicated effort and in it's personnel should com mend public confidence and respect In recent years public health service has be- come a new profession, and those who aspire to fill positions as health officials must have special training.
 SPECIAL TRAINING NEEDED
 The medical practitioner is no longer competent to perform the duties of the modern health officer because he lacks special training. In this country there are F schools at which this special train- 1 ing is offered the public health nurse l corAtantly an important part of this new health movement. Her value consists in | the actual demonstration to the mass of | the people who must be reached in their | own homes. The work of this district or l visiting nurse has broadened by the study l of health problems in cities and rural | communities and under the direction of | efficient health officer the nursing service | has been productive of wonderful results l in the control of communicable disease. ! The administration of public health Is a practical business proposition and the