Evening star., 1919-04-20
AMERICA HAS CHANCE
TO BUY GOOD HEALTH
Program Mapped Out by Surgeon Genera!
Rupert Blue and His Assistants
National in Scope.

off in the number of baplcs born IN
this country owing to the war.
though the estimate is not available.
Conservation of Children.
One of the principal features of the
public health service program is
child conservation. In this country
20 per cent of all the deaths are OF
infants under two years OF age.
very large per centage of these child
deaths are preventable if there is
proper sanitary re~of the babies.
clean food and the proper education
of the parents in the care of the
children. The public health officials
have figures which show that due to
sporadic efforts made in this country
to improve the conditions for babies
from 1910 to 1915 there was a reduc-
tion in the death rate of children
under five years of age amounting
to 174E per 100000. In other words.
in population of 100, ,000. 900 people.
children saved from death from pre-
ventable diseases, including typhoid.
tuberculosis. diphtheria, Group and
diarrheal diseases totaled I74,500
year. And yet the officials OF the
public health service say this is but
beginning Of what can be accom-
plished.
1t is not the purpose of the public
health service to rush Immediately
| into the expenditure of huge sums OF
the public money-though they might
be justifiable. As they point out. il
| would be impossible to spend very
large sums Immediately: though they
| might be wasted" They must build
up an organization. Nor do they pro-
pose that the federal government.
| through the public health service,
shall usurp the state rights and police
powers. They propose to build up "A
great service which shall demonstrate
| to the states and lead them along the
right paths for the preservation of
| health of the people. The public
health service stations. laboratories.
hospitals. ETC.. are to be a great clear
ing house OF information for the use
| Of the local authorities in the states.
To Meet After-War Needs.
Take look at the program outlined
by the public health service, which Is
! understood to have the approval of
| the President. 1t is intended to meet
! after-the-war needs, and it is en-
phasized by the public health officials
that the success of this program wils
depend uppn the active cooperation
| of the federal. state and local health
| authorities Such cooperation can
best be secured on the ssedsRsl aid
| extension principle.
The program is, divided into fifteen
| main heads, which are in turn sub
I! divided. These main heads are: l. in
| dustrial hygiene; 2. rural hygiene; 3.
prevention of disease of infancy and
childhood; 4, national development of
safe water supplies: 5. national de-
velopment of safe milk supplies; .,
sewage disposal; Z, malaria; s. venereai
diseases; 3, tuberculosis; 10. railway
sanitation; IL. municipal sanitation.
IL, health standards; IS. health edu-
cation: IA, collection of morbidity re-
ports: Is. organization and training
for duty in emergency of the reserve
Of the public health service. the estab-
lishment of which was authorized b.
Congress as a war measure
The surgeon general estimates that
in order to carry this program into
effect there will have to be added to
the personnel of the service s43 Off
GERS and agents.
Industrial Hygiene Measures.
Examine the program more in de-
tail. The public health service has
already made a beginning in indus
trial hygiene. but it desires and should
be permitted to go much further into
this question. 1t desires to continue
surveys to determine precisely the ma
ture of health hazards and measures
needed to correct them in the factory
and the mine. 1t desires to secure
adequate reports of the prevalence of
disease among employees and sanitary
conditions in Industrial establish
ments and communities. 1t desires
the national development of adequate
systems of medical and surgical su
pervision of employees in their places
of employment. 1t desires the estab-
lishment of minimum standards of in
dustrial hygiene and the prevention
of occupational diseases. 1t desires
the Improvement of the sanitation of
industrial communities, acting in CO.
operation with the state and local au-
thorities and other agencies. Also il
desires that the public health service
shall have medical and sanitary su-
pervision by the public health service
of civil industrial establishments
owned or operated by the federal gov
ernment.
This is a pretty full program for
hygiene among the factory and mine
workers of the country. but. if adopted.
the number of lives that could be
saved and the number of illnesses pre-
vented is very large. The public health
service did much valuable work dur
ing the war in industrial communities
where war work was progressing for
the government, under special war
appropriation.
Developing Rural Sanitation.
The public health service has al
ready done considerable work along
the lines of developing rural santa
ton, acting in co operation with the
state and local county authorities.
Last year the appropriations were
$500 for this work, and now the
service is asking s5o0.00O for the
next fiscal year. 1t did much valu
able work in improving sanitation ia
4 ho n hta