Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-05-28

Instead of the article on typhoid
fever, we are printing this week an
article by DR.. McCord, County Health
Commissioner of Floyd county. He
speaks of the way in which the health
work has been carried on in that coun-
ty and of some of the results that
have been accomplished.
l was associated with DR.. McCord
for a period of six months, at that
time being in the employ of the United
states Public Health Service. | visit
ed large number of homes in Floyd
county and talked with the people in
regard to matters of health and SAM
tation. The cause and prevention OF
such common diseases as typhoid fever,
malaria. hookworm, tuberculosis, etc,
was discussed and explained. The
Importance of pure water supply
was discussed and each family advised
| how to fix up the we'll or spring SO as
to make the water safe for drinking
purposes.
| After more than a year of the work,
the people of that county are just
waking up as to the value OF the WORK
and what it really means.
The same work was recently under
taken in Sumter county. If all the good
people of the county fully understood
lust what it means, 1 feel sure l could
count on the support and cooperation
of every one.
No one denies the value OF health
Land vet few of us realize that a very
Ilarge art of the illness that afflict
humanity are really preyentable and
unnecessary. DR.. McCord's article fol-
Ilcws
Last year marked the beginning in
lsantitation for Floyd county. 1t was
new to our people just in the same
manner that it is new everywhere until
1.-The people have an opportunity to learn
something about it.
Many people thought that as soon
las the work began every man that haH
Ian offensive pig pen would be hauleo
to Jail without bail. They seemed l.
think that it was a "knock-down- and.
Idrag out" to every person that in an!
manner violated the principles OF san
Iitation
We soon exchanged their ideas abou
the plan of procedure. Usually the Eel
Ilcw that wants so much done to make
Ibis neighbor respect the principles
Iof sanitation is a greater violator him
iself.
Our first methods in furthering sanl
Itation were in various kinds of pub
llicity work. We have carried pup
lie health column in one of our daily
papers every Sunday for over L;
months In this column we have dis
lcussed sanitation from every angle. We
told the people what sanitation is, ant
lalso the part each person should take
lin help4ue to carry the work to sue
Icess. We have received many assur.
lances that the weekly articles were be
ling read, and that many OF the prin'
ciples outlined were being put into
lpractice.
The eighty-fve schools in FLOYD
county have been visited twice, lee
Iture delivered on sanitation and inspec-
tlons for defects. During 1916, 3,31t
pupils in the county's public schools
we're inspected. OF this number ex-
amined, l found 1,444 with either
physical or dental defect. The parents
of all the children having defects were
notified by card from my Office, with
requests that they consult a physic-
ian or dentist as the case might be.
A health league has been organized
in every rural school. On every Friday
afternoon the teachers lecture to the
schools for thirty minutes on some
phase of sanitation. Once each month
public meeting is held on Friday al
lternoon, several of the boys and girls
read essays on different subjects as
Isigped by the teacher, and the parents
are invited; consequently. we are
teaching many skeptical parents about
Isanitation through their own children
II have literature to ever the entire
field of sanitation, furnished my be the
limited States Public Health Service
and the Metropolitan Life Insurance