The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1919-12-13
A CALL FOR NATIONWIDE
HEALTH CONSERVATION
L. s. Public Health Service AnnOun-
ces Plans.

In lJlI
Four hundred thousand less deaths
occurred in 1917 than would have
had the 1900 death rate prevailed.
Annual illness of workers still
costs this country two billion dol
lars each year.
One man in every three called by
the Army was found to the ply
sically unfit.
These figures were given out to-
day by Surgeon General Rupert
Blue of the United States Public
Health Service, in urging plan for
nationwide conservation of health
and calling on ill health agencies to
cooperate in carefully prepared
program.
Surgeon General Blue has sent a
letter to State and City Health Off
GERS, to the head of the American
Red Cross, The American Public
Health Association, the American
Medical Association, the National Tu
berculosis Association, the Interna-
national tuberculosis Association,
the International Health Commission,
the National Safety Council, the
American Child Hygiene Association,
and other health agencies, suggest
ing conference in Washington to
consider a health program prepared
by the Public Health Service.
The Surgeon General points out
that practically off of these agencies
have under consideration some plan
of health conservation and that UNI
| less the work can we co-ordinated
and properly directed, little will be
! accomplished and there will be much
over tapping of effort and waste of
| funds.
1t is emphasized that the success
of the plan will be determined by its
direct applicability to the conditions
in the different local communities
and for tbs reason Federal, State
and local health officers must CO.
operate most closely in order to di-
rect the campaign in each COM
munity and set a definite objective
For instance, a Southern city would
be more interested in a campaign
against the mosquito and malaria
than it would be in Rocky Mountain
spotted fever. A Northern industrial
city would be more interested in the
control of pneumonia and respiratory
diseases. All. however, have cancer
, tuberculosis and veneral diseases
ali would be benefited by public
health nursing, medical supervision
of school children, conservation OF
the lives of mothers and children
adequate sewage disposal, the pro
vision of pure water and pure milk
So. while each city and rural com
, mllnity will have as a definite objec-
tive the most vital need in that par
ticular place, the various health ag-
ences will have definite objectiveS
according to the particular problem
they set for themselves to solve.
The health program to be sub
mitted to the conference has beer
in preparation for months, experts
of the Public Health Service lone
, having foreseen the need of such 9
nationwide effort A preliminary
announcement of the plan was MADE
at New Orleans at the recent meet
ing of the American Public Health
Association which gave unanimous
endorsement.
Few realize what has already beer
; accomplished in the filed of prevent
tive medicine or what can be done
, by a carefully executed health pro
gram which is cumulative and con
| tinuous rather than spasmodtc anC
; desultory in character.
In 1900 the general death rat'
: from all causes in the United States
> was 17.8; in 1917, the latest figures
: available, it had been reduced to 14.2
Had the 1900 death rate prevailed
t in 1917 there would have been il
, the United States, with an estimated
. population of 10 million, $4,000
r more deaths than actually occurred
The record of other year leav'
! little room to doubt what may b'
done in saving life. In 1900 typhoid
= fever caused death rate of 1873 PEE
100000 population. In 1917 the rat
! had been reduced to 1874. .Diphtherii
: was reduced from 1874 to 1875 in thu
same period. tuberculosis declined
{ from 1905 deaths per 100000 o
population in 1900 to 1864 in 1917
Had the 1900 rate prevailed in ty
s phoid fever, diphtheria and tuber
culosis, in 1917 these three disease
alone would have caused 91,740 more
? deaths than actually occurred.
/. The Public Health Service is LEI
to believe that its health program il
feasible owing to the fortunate co
a operation and successful Termination
e of the extra cantonment work which
Y was carried on so efficiently by thu
: American Red Cross, State and loca
t health authorities and the U. 5
o Public Health Service. The lessor
: taught by this splendid demonstra
: ton of team work should not b.
: lost to the country. For this rea
son. the American Red Cross, whicl
S has set aside millions Of dollars TO
: health work in the United States
has been asked to take an active par
S in translating the health program in
t to action. It's thousands of loca
: chapters are counted on to arous
and maintain interest in health worl
t and actively cooperate with Federal
: State and local health officers in ac
f cordance with the announced polio,
: Of the American Red Cross to co
: operate with existing health agen
cies.