The sun., 1919-09-21

midst of desperate fright. Fate put
him out of the battle with bullets in
both forearms and the right leg.
Private Smith recovered from the
wounds which forced him unconscious
from the field, but the gas he had
scoffed at proved his undoing. Tuber-
culosis, which the doctors are discov-
ering follows in the trail of many gas
, cases, gripped him. Unable to work he
applied for assistance. He accepted
the offer OF treatment among the hills
at Liberty, N. Y, where the physi-
clans hope to check the dread disease.
These are two cases selected at
random from among the thousands.
They indicate the nature of the task
confronting the Government. and in
this connection 1t may be we'll to
present few facts about the history
and designated functions of the de-
partment handling this work so ably.
Although the U. s. Public Health
Service has been in existence since
1889, not until August, 1912, did it
receive the present name. BY a spe-
cial act OF Congress the Public Health
and Marine Hospital Service was
placed under this title. The bureau
of the service at Washington COM
prises seven divisions. the operations
Of which are coordinated under the
immediate supervision of Surgeon
General Rupert Blue. His wise d.
rection Of this intricate piece of Fed
eral machinery has won unstinted
praise in America and abroad.
AS the service is part of the Treas
ury Department, claimants under the
War Risk Bureau and Employees
Compensation Commission are exam
ined by doctors Of this branch. This,
however. Is only part of the duties
as the general field covered is a wide
one.
blue Wants to Aid Children.
Health education for children Is an
other angle of this system warmly adj
vocated by Surgeon-Genera Blue.
This is a part of the vast reclama-
ton and reconstructive plan to benefit
millions in this country already
thought out and designed to bring
about national standards Of physical
we'll being unequalled in the history
of the world.
While making his plea for Federal
assistance in supervising the little
ones at school Surgeon-General Blue
said in a recent speech, THE urgency
Of the proposal has been disclosed by
the operation OF the selective draft
act and by the sanitary surveys made
in the various States by the Public
Health Service"
Culling from a report by the Pro-
vost Marshall General, he showed that
approximately 20 per cent. of regis
trants were rejected on account Of
physical and mental defects. II
properly dealt with in childhood. he
pointed out, a large percentage OF the
ailments which prove serious handi-
cap in after life could be easily elina-
mated.
The achievements of the Public
Health Service in the areas about
camps and cantonments where the
life OF soldiers and civilians wers safe
guarded were set forth In these words
Of the SUPERINTENDENT:
Outbreaks Of the major infections.
such as cerebro-spinal meningitis,
smallpox, diphtheria, typhoid fever
and scarlet fever have been checked
in many instances and new methods
have been devised for their control.
! Remarkable results have been at
tanned. In some districts where the
methods have been adequately carried
out q reduction of as much as IS per
cent: in contagious diseases among
the general population has followed"
One OF tho factors. and big one,