The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1919-12-05
CONSERVATION OF
HEALTH Is PLANNED
u. S. Public Health Service
Seeks Aid From Other
Health Agencies,

lSlf.
-Four hundred thousond less deaths
occurred in 1917 than would have
had the 1900 death rate prevailed.
Annual Illness of workers still costs
this country two billion dollars each
year.
One man in every three called by
the Army was found to be physically
unfit.
These figures were given out today
by Surgeon General Rupert Blue. of
the United States Public Health Ser
=, vice. in urging aplan for nationwide
' conservation of health and calling on
all health agencies to cooperate in a
carefully prepared program.
Surgeon General Blue has sent a
letter to State and City Health of
Ulcers. to the head of the American
sied Cross. the American Public As
sociation, the American Medica
sociation, The National Tuberculosis
Association. the International Health
Commission, the National Safety
Council. the American Child Hygiene
Association, and other health agen-
cies. suggesting conference in Wash
ington to consider a health program
prepared by the Public Health Ser
vice.
The Surgeon General points out
that practically all of these agencies
have under consideration some plal
of health conservation and that un-
less the work can be co-ordinated and
properly directed, little will be &C.
complished and there will be much
overlapping of effort ard waste OF
funds.
II is emphasized that the success
of the plan will be determined by
its direct application to the condi
lions in the different local communi-
ties and for this reason Federal. State
and local health officers must CO.
operate most closely in order to di-
rect the campaign in each cmmunity
and set a definite objective.
For instance, Southern city
would be more Interested in a cam
paign against the mosquito and ma
Iaria than il would be in Rocky
Mountain spotted fever. A Northern
!. In ustrial city wuLld lie more inte'-
.ate; in the cont. of pneumon.
and respiratory diseases. All. how
ever, have cancer. tuberculosis and
vcnereal diseases: all would be bene-
fitted by public health nursing, medi-
cal supervise IN uf school children.
conservation nf the lives of mothers
and children, adequate sewage dis
posal The provision of pure water aud
pure air; =. while each city and
rural community will have IS a deit-
mite objective and the most vital need
in that particular place, thu various
ht alth agencies E,ll have definite OBJ
jectives according to the particular
problem they set for themselves to
sClve.
The health program to DC sub
.nstted to the Conference H. been in
preparation for months, experts of
the Public Health Service loug hav-
ing foreseen tie need of such ma
tion-wide effort. A preliminary an
announcement of the plan was made
If New Orleans ut the recent meeting
of the American Public Health Asso'
cation which gave unanimous en-
dorsemcnt.
Few realize what has alrs ady beer
accomplished IN the field o. proven
five medicine ar what can be done by
a carefully ey,,uted health program
which is cumulative and ontinuous
rather thar srasmodic and I7suitory
in character
In 1900 the general death rate
from all causes in the United States
was l7.S;-- in 1917, the latest hg-
ures available, it had been reduced |
to 14.2. Had the 1900 death rate
prevailed in 1917 there would have
been in the United States, with an
estimated population of 10 Million
1896. 900 more deaths than actually
occurred.
The record of other years leaves |
little room 10 doubt what may De
done in saving life. In 1900 typhoid
fever caused death rate OF 1913
per 100 900 population. In 1917 the
rate had been reduced to 1874 Diph- :
iberia was reduced from 1854 to 1913
in the same period. tuberculosis de-
clined from 1905 deaths per loo,ooV
of population in 1900 to 1864 III
1917. Had the 1900 rate prevailed
in typhoid fever, diphtheria ana 'u-
berculosis, in 1917 these three di-
seases alone would have caused si'-
74O more deaths than actually oe-
Cured.
The Public Health Service is led to