Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1920-11-12

paths of travel of diseases means
working where disease has been
i'll the past and not waiting for
some actual case to develop. AT
the same time that he shows the
individuals their unhealthy con-
ditionS, good educational work
means that he show ut public
meetings all the people in the
community these things: many
of the people will look to see if
they have Il safe privy for cx-
ample and will have made il safe
by the time that the health Off
Ger has come to their home: the
important thing is that such pco-
pie will be much more apt 10
keep that privy safe at all times
from having been at that meet
ing.
Cities have found that there is
more to good health business
than these main methods of the
health officer. They have found
that there is a large field for in
crcasing the health Of individ-
uals so that they will not be so
apt to catch these diseases or
should they take them that they
will have them in mild form.
This applies to people at all ages
and is measured by the So-called
defects of the individual. The
two most important such defects
are those of decayed teeth or of
unhealthy conditions of the nose
and throat like diseased tonsils
and adenoids. When ii is known
as we'll that the majority of car
riers of diseases of the respira-
tory type that We have mention
ed are among such individuals,
we have u two-fold reason for
finding such defects. This inn
portant field is primarily that of
tho health nurse who sorts out,
whether school children or of
children under school age, the
healthy from the unhealthy or
defective. Where these arc pos
Sible cases or carriers of disease
they are turned over to the health
officer. Otherwise the nurse fol-
lows the defective into the home
and seeks correction if school
child. In going through the
homes then examining the chill
dren under school age, the nurse
in turn may assist the health Of
ficcr by making the survey men
toned earlier, in communities
where the health officer has not
yet reached. She also helps in
the educational meetings, thus
giving what is called good team
play.
During the working days of
the week then both the health
officer and nurse are constantly
working in the field while the
third individual mentioned, the
clerk, receives reports and makes
out the reports of the previous
work of the health officer and
nurse: The clerk is the bookkeep-
er. These three people then rep
resent q unit. On Saturdays the
health officer and nurse hold a
dispcnsary day when adults are
examined for defects. when in
desiring vaccination
for small pox or typhoid are Civ
en- tho preventative injection.
1t has been found that what
was true Of small cities was true
Of counties: that there was just
as much work that could be done
and exactly as good results. The
work then OH the same unit
basis as described was extended
to counties. There is a further
10 county health
work; The state that has every
county so organized for full time
work as well rs every city in the
state becomes organized to give
mutual protection against the
spread Of disease to each county
and each city. The state is in
tcrcsted then in each county be-
ing under full time health work
and to that end assists financial
" during the first years of often
imagined hardship on the TAX
payer or until such individuals
can see the actual financial re-
turns.