The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-11-27
NATIONWIDE HEALTH CONSERVATION


billion dollars less in 1917 than it would had the
health conditions of 20 years ago prevailed in 1917
Four hundred thousand less deaths occurred in
1917 than would have had the 1900 death rate pre-
walled
Annual Illness of workers still costs this country
two billion dollars each year.
One man in every three called by the army
found to be physically unfit
These figures were given out today by Surgeon
General Rupert Blue Of the United States Public
Health Service. in urging plan for nationwide
conservation of health and calling all health
agencies to cooperate in carefully prepared pro-
gram
Surgeon General Blue has sent letter to state
and city health officers to the head of the American
Red Cross, the American Public Health Association,
the American Medical Association, the National
tuberculosis Association the International Health
Commission, the National Safety Council, the Amer-
can Child Hygiene Association, and other health
agencies. suggesting conference in Washington to
consider health program prepared by the public
health service.
The surgeon general points out that practically all
of these agencies have under consideration some
plan of health conservation and that unless the work
can be co-ordnated and properly directed little Will
be accomplished and there will be much overlapping
of effort and waste OF funds.
1t is emphasized that the of the plan will
be determined by its direct applicability to the
ditions in the different local communities and for
this reason federal, state and local health officers
must cooperate most closely in order to direct the
campaign in each community and set definite OBJ
jective.
For instance Southern city would be more in
lterested 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 respra-
tory diseases All, however, have cancer, tubercu-
Ioss and venerea diseases: all would be benefited
lby public health nursing, medical supervision OF
school children conservation of the lives of mothers
and children, adequate sewage disposal the pro-
vision pure water and pure milk. So, while each
rural definite
jectve the most vital need in that particular place.
the. various health agencies will have definite OBJ
jectives according to the particular problem they
set for themselves to solve.
The health program to be submitted to the confer
ence has been in preparation for months, experts of
the public health service long having foreseen the
need OF such nationwide effort preliminary
announcement of the plan was made at New Orleans
at the meeting of the American Public Health
Association which gave unanimous endorsement
Few realize what has already been accomplished
in the field of preventive medicine what be
done by carefully executed health program which
lis cumulative and continuous rather than spasmodo
and desutory in character.
In 1900 the general death rate from all causes in
the United States fish 1917 the latest fig
available it had been reduced to t42. Had the
1900 death rate prevailed in 1917 there would have
been in the United States with estimated popu-
lation of no millions, $4,000 more deaths than actu
ally occurred.
The record of other years leaves little room to
doubt what may be done in saving life. In 1900
typhoid fever caused death rate of 1913 100000
population In 1917 the rate had been reduced to
i3.4 Diphtheria reduced from 354 to i6-5 in
the period. tuberculosis declined from 1905
deaths per 100000 of population in 1900 to 1864 in
1917 Had the 1900 rate prevailed in typhoid fever
diphthera and tuberculosis, in 1917 these three dis
eases alone would have caused 9t,740 more deaths
than actually occurred.
The public health service is led to believe that its
health program is feasible owing to the fortunate
cooperation and successful termination of the extra
cantonment work which was carried efficiently
by the American Red Cross, state and local health
authorities and the United States Public Health
Service The lesson taught by this splendid demon
stration of team work should not be lost to the
country. For this reason the American Red Cross
which has set aside millions of dollars for health
work In the United States has been asked to take
active part in translatng the health program into
action. Its thousands of local chapters counted
on to arouse and maintain interest in health work
and actively cooperate with federal state and local
health officers in accordance with the announced
policy of the American Red Cross to cooperate with
existing health agencies.