Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1918-09-06
Prevention is 6
Better Than Cure
Greatest Advances Of Medical Scicnc"
Have lss'n Along Lines of Pwvcnt-
ing Disease, Says DIR. j. IL. Duke,
State Health Commissioner.

That "Prevention is better than
cure Is especially true as regards
the health OF an individual or COM
munity Medical science has made
wonderful progress in recent years,
but its greatest advances have not
been along the line of curing so much
as preventing disease. Now the prin-
cipal problem is not 50 much to as
certain what to do in order to pre-
serve good health. as To persuad"
people of the importance OF taking
known and proven precautions. For
inStar'e the Cause and prevention
of tyr = id over are well known. 1t
Is Practically preventable disease.
Yet il continues To take a heavy toll
OF sickness and death simply be-
cause people will not take needed
precautions.
Some of the simplest rules for
avoiding disease are
Keep away from houses where
people are sick from contagious or
infectious diseases. such as scarlet
fever. measles. whooping cough,
sore throat, diphtheria. tuberculo-
sis. typhoid fever smallpox. chicken
pox, pneumonia. or bad colds. These
diseases are not only dangerous
themselves. but they often leave
their effect in poor health for years
afterward
DO not kiss people unnecessarily,
and do not kiss anyone on the
mouth. DO not kiss sick people, no:
those having colds.
Do not put in your mouth any
thing that has been in another per
sons $ mouth. DO not bite food which
another person has eaten of.
DO not use a glass. cup, towel,
handkerchief. washcloth, bath
sponge. or silverware that has been
used by others. unless it has been
thoroughly washed and cleansed.
Have plenty of pure. fresh air in
your room day and night
Wash your hands thoroughly be-
fore each meal
Avoid dust AS much as you can. cs-
pccially dust raised by houseswecp-
ing. carpet beating or streetswcrping
DO not drink water unless ii is
pure and clean. Water from wells
should be tested: often water which
appears clear and sparkling is dan
gerous. City water can he treated
by chemical processes so as to elm
mate most of III" danger Each com
munity should insist that this is
done.
Keep flies out Of your living
rooms and protect all articles Of
food from flies. Flies carry disease
germs.
DO not spit on the sidewalk, and
cover your mouth with a handker-
chief when vou cough or Sneeze.
The person who will not take thes"
precautions il a menace to others
II is more important for children
to avoid the germs of disease than
for adults. Some diseases which
children take very readily seldom
bother grown people, In addition.
the resisting power of the child is
less. This is especially true OF very
young children
Most OF these rules are more or
less negative in their character. 1t
is not, however, enough for per-
son simply to avoid disease. Every
person not suffering from specific
weakness. or the victim OF some ac-
cident. should be in positive good
health. Exercise. especially in the
omen. pure feed. plenty OF sleep, the
avoidance of useless worry. regular
habits these are the primary rules
OF good health To see the results
one has to look at our vigorous
healthy, cheerful American soldiers
II is true that the soldiers are 10 a
large extent picked men OF the age
when health and vigor are at their
maximum Nevertheless. there u
all the difference in the world be
tween the health oe a company OF
soldiers when they first enter camp
and after three months training 1t
ls the following out OF simple. SEN
sible health rules which has wrought
the change II Is regimen which
will benefit the civilian as much aa