The sun., 1919-10-05

TIME dangers accruing from a
common towel, unsanitary
- crowding and all conditions
that arise from breaking the laws Of
hygiene are being, taught by the city
to the Industrial world through the
bureau Of public health education Of
the Department OF Public Health.
While all methods aimed to teach
what the evils are that follow q
breach of simple sanitary rules, the
principal one depended on by the bu-
reau is a series OF talks to workers,
illustrated by lantern slides maGs
from the actual pictures. Lectursre
are appointed by the superintendent
Of the bureau, DR.. s. Dana Hubbfrd,
and talks are made to employed OF
large Industrial establishments at the
instance of the bureau and very fire.
quently by request OF the proprietors,
This work of education is carried on
during the noon hour, but only partly
on the employees time.
A pamphlet has been issued by the
bureau which embodies the educa-
tional features of this free service. Az
the outset this pamphlet makes an in
teresting statement; 1t is that the
workers themselves have welcomed
this serious inquiry into their health
and the conditions under which they
do their daily work.
Has Confidence OF workers.
A statement like this supported by
q mass Of testimony reveals a great
change In the attitude taken by toilers
toward these investigations. Not SO
long ago this attitude was distinctly
hostile, the workers resenting investi-
cation as impertinent Now the state
Of ignorance that would repel It per-
sfsts only in sporadic cases. DR.. Hub
bard attributes this change as much
to the improved mentality of the
workers as to any eloquence or per-
suasive powers invested in the lee
turers who bring health facts to their
observation. He said in this connec-
ton:
Our first effort was to make a con-
hdential relation between the bureau
and the laborer. Until a father can
convince his son that he is not mere
critic and fault finder. but a pal de-
serving Of confidence, that father has
very little influence with his boy. AS
soon as confidential relationship is
established between father and son
everything else is plain sailing. The
bureau of public health education
had to do this very thing with the
ctty's workers.
in 1915 New York had a valuable
sanitary bureau, but its duties were
strictly confined to construction work
and repairs on buildings. There ex-
listed then a great deal of sickness
which could not be explained away on
ordinary grounds. The health board
was not blind to the causes. They
arose from improper practices of in
dustrial employees and from their
state of general ignorance as to what
hygiene meant. Because It did know
this the Division of Industrial Hygiene
was inaugurated, with clinic first for
occupational diseases. This was. the
opening wedge. and from statistics
then collected employer and employed
began to get vision of what wage
loss. as well as production, were due
to removable causes.
Value OF Physical Examinations.
"The Division Of Industrial Hygiene
then combined with the American In
stitute of Safety and the Department
of Health came out openly for physical
examinations. The good that these do
for the workmen, for their associates,
for the employers and for the general
public health now scarcely needs ex-