The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-09-12
HEALTH ASSOCIATIONS
BLUE EARTH COUNTY ONE OIL
THE STATE UNITS
Will Fight tuberculosis; $44. 900
TO Be Distributed In Eighty
Counties of Minnesota

The Blue Earth County Public
Health Association is now rully es-
tablished, and the executives feel that
the nature and scope Of the work
should be carefully laid before the
people of the county, that it may not
be confused with other activities in
the same field,
Fhe Blue Earth County Health AS
ISOLATION is a unit of the Minnesota
Public Health Association. Eighty of
these units are now organized in as
many counties of the state
The Minnesota Public Health AS
with the National tuberculosis AS
sociation whereby it assists in the
work against tuberculosis and re-
ceives for its aid the sum- of $44,-
600 to be distributed among the
eighty organized counties.
1t has also entered into agreement
with the National Red Cross by
which that organization finance and
supervises the Public Health nursing
in the state. In this way the newly
organized county associations take
their first steps with either hand in
that of the older sister organizations.
The activities advised for this year
are largely of an educational nature
The holding of children's clinics, the
displaying of exhibits at the fairs, the
providing of speakers on public health
for clubs and the getting of the
h0a nd IF iv,tO
ing order. This board is chosen from
every town and township in the coun-
ty. Each director is the chairman of
a committee which they themselves
will select from their own district.
The duty of this local committee is
10 report to the executive any condi-
ton existing in their town or town
ship that is or might become a mem
ace to the public health, to organize
reading circles or clubs on the sub
ject of health and to secure speakers
for the same.
The scope of the association is
only limited by the health needs of
the county. The necessity for such
work was brought sharply before the
people when the board of examiners
in the first war draft found thirty
three out of every hundred of the
young men between the ages of
eighteen and twenty one years unfit
for service.
That an organization of such vital
importance should have to. start out
with no surer means of support than
popular subscriptions dole out through
the channel of other societies is to
be regretted. however with this
slender means or financial aid, the
generous assistance of our local doc
tors who are unsparing in their time
at our clinics, and the cordial CO.
operation of the public it is hoped
that very soon we will see Bureau
of Public Health established under
the county commission, and that
Blue Earth county will have full
time health officer to look after the
health of the, community.
With such bureau, tuberculosis
could be limited in it's ravages and
in the course of time stamped out.
Scarlet fever, typhoid fever, measles
and whooping cough could be control
led, rather than considered part of
the child's school life experience.
Children Of unstable mentality could
receive treatment early enough to
benefit those capable of benefit, while
others could receive the care which
might prevent them coming a public
expense or a menace to the commun
ity.
Every dollar paid for the prevention
of disease is repaid an hundred fold
in the lessening of the bills paid for
the care of the sick.