The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-01-04
A SECRETARY OF HEALTH

(As the San Antonio Light See,
Him.
The manner in which the Spanisl
influenza has swept across the
United States and is still rcapins
a terrible toll calls attention once
again to the very urgent need il
our governmental system OF a cabi
net officer particularly charged
with the safeguarding and upbuild.
ing OF the health of the American
| people.
In the Department OF Agricul.
ture we have sccretayship deyot-
ed to nothing but the protection
and upbuilding CT our crops, live
stock, lands and all material things
Yet thousand times more precious
to us is our national health. 1t is
true that we have a public health
service organized as a bureau OF
federal department, but it lacks
many OF the essential requirements
for its successful operation. In
personnel it probably coull not be
improved upon, but in financial
support, scope OF work, authority
and untrammclled direction. it
lacks many things necessary to
combat such a situation as now
confrontS us.
Just as the United States GOV
ernment through it's Department oi
Agriculture studies the ills and
needs OF plants and live stock. just
as 1t analyses soil and experiments
in agricultural Improvements, so
should this government. through 4
national department, do those
things with reference to the people.
To make this possible Congress
must enact legislation conicrring
such a power upon the government
and thus the burden OF the situa-
ton rests upon the people who elect
the members OF Congress.
In the past we have taken occa-
sion to call attention to the rapid
spread OF tuberculosis. In Ameri-
ca, as in Europe, this dread dis
ease has come to the recognized
as serious menace to public health.
No specific for it has been found
and outside OF private research
along those lines, we are really do
ing nothing as a nation to combat
its evils. The government has es-
tabliShcd sanitariums in the south
west for its tubercular soldiers and
sailors and various others in gov
ernment service, But for the masses
OF the people so afflicted. there IS
no federal assistance.
There are but three things that
can save the life OF 4 tubcrcuar
person, il his ailmcnt is properly
diagnosed in time. One is con-
pletc rest, another is proper food.
clothing and housing, the third is
adequate medical attention and in
most instances, 4 change to proper
climate conditions. 1t is not too
much 10 assert that perhaps iiity
per cent OF the persons afflicted
with this disease cannot have these
vitality essential things. The prob
lem is beyond state jurisdiction be-
cause il is interstate in nature.
Penniless. sick men and women eN-
pend their last penny for transpor-
tation to the southwest, arrive there
desperately i'll, among stranger,
and in dire want. Then they die.
En- route they perhaps infect hun
dreds with the tubcrcuar bacciili
through the medium OF trains, no.
tells and cafes. There is but one
solution for this situaton--federal
control OF contagious diseases.
We have had another apt illustrI-
ton in the army'S tight against
communicable diseases. These have
been brought to 4 hitherto unheard
OF minimum by the strict regula-
tons which the army found it pos
sible to impose. Let us suppose as
4 hypothetical proposition that a
federal Department OF Health had
been in operation at the outset OF
the influenza epidemic, Would it
not have been possible to have pre-
vented entrance OF this disease into
the United States or, ii not, to have
it by strict federal quar-
antine to a limited area along the
ports OF entrance; The probabili-
ties are that It would.
Every one appreciates the splen-
did work being done by the federal
both military and civil,
now in existence, and it seems plain
that the problem to be met is such
a great one as to be worthy OF
far more important position in our
and our national bud
get.