Connecticut western news., 1919-01-02

Save 100, 900 Livea
 Washington, D. C.-With the subsid- ence of the epidemic of influenza the ! attention of health officers is directed to pneumonia, bronchitis and other diseases of the respiratory system which regularly. cause large number of deaths, especially during the winter season. According to Rupert Blue, Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service, these diseases will be especially prevalent this win | ter unless the people are particularly careful to obey health instructions. "The present epidemic" said Sur geon General Blue, "has taught by bit | ter experience how readily a condition beginning apparently as slight cold may go on to pneumonia and death Although the worst of the epidemic is over, there will continue to be a large number of scattered cases, many of | them mild and unrecognized, which will be danger spots to be guarded | against" The Surgeon General lfkened LuS pICSChL SlludllOu hALC1 d great fire, saying, "No fire chief who understands his business stops playing the hose on the charred debris as soon as the flames and visible fire have dis 1 appeared. On the contrary, he con- | tinues the water for hours and even days, for he knows that there is dan 1 ger of the fire rekindling from smol- l dering embers."
 "Then you fear another outbreak of | infiuenza~ he was asked. Not neces- sarily another large epidemic," said the Surgeon General, "but unless the | people learn to realize the seriousness of the danger they will be compelled to pay heavy death toll from pneumo- nia and other respiratory diseases.
 Common Colds Highly Catching.
 "It is encouraging to observe that | people are beginning to learn that or ! dinary coughs and colds are highly catching and are spread from person to person by means of droplets of germ laden mucus. Such droplets are | sprayed into the air when careless or l ignorant people cough or sneeze with out covering their mouth and nose. It is also good to know that people have learned something about the value of fresh air. In summer, when people are largely out of doors, the respira- tory diseases (coughs, colds, pneumo- mia, etc.) are infrequent; in the fall, as people begin to remain indoors, the respiratory diseases increase : in the winter, when people are prone to stay in badly ventilated, overloaded rooms, the respiratory diseases become very | prevalent e
 Suitable Clothing Important.
 "Stin another factor in the produc- tion of colds, pneumonia and other re spiratory diseases is carelessness or ig- norance of the people regarding suit able clothing during the seasons when the weather suddenly changes, sitting in warm rooms too heavily dressed or, what Is even more common, especially among women, dressing so lightly that windows are kept closed in order to be comfortably warm. This Is a very in- furious practice.
 Could Save 100000 Lives.
 "I believe we could easily save one hundred thousand lives annually in the United States if all the people would adopt the system of fresh air living followed, for example, in tuber- culosis sanatoria. There is nothing mysterious about it-no specific medI- cine, no vaccine. The important thing Is right living, good food and plenty If fresh air.
 Droplet Infection Explained In Pictures.
 "The Bureau of Public Health, Treasury Department, has just issued a striking poster drawn by Bergman, the well-known Washington cartoonist The poster exemplifles the modern method of health education. A few years ago, under similar circumstances, the health authorities would have is- sued an official dry but scientifically accurate bulletin teaching the role of droplet infection in the spread of re- spfratory diseases. The only ones who would have understood the bulletin would have been those who already knew all about the subject. The man in the street, the plain citizen and the many millions who toll for their living would have had no time and no desire to wade through the technical phrase ology."
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