The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-05-10
SMALL TOWN HEALTH PROBLEMS
Considered by DR.. c. H. Mayo, Famous
Surgeon.

The health problems OF small city
were described by DIR. G. II. Mayo OF
Rochester, Mimi, in the Social Medl-
cine and Medical Economies" as fol
lows:
Serving the community as health Of
ficer has long, but mistakenly, been
looked upon as a lowly and trouble
making occupation. When the con
stitution of the United States was
written, general public health problems
were not recognized. In order to make
the constitution acceptable TO peo-
ple who had left Europe because OF a
desire for freedom, the personal liner
ty and privilege of the individual was
made az unrestricted as possible As
the state developed, health problems
increased but, from lack of knowledge
of both conditions and methods, were
relatively few until recent period
The city charter was usually drawn
for the appointment OF health ON,
Ger bv the council at salary OF sloo
a wear. The health work was seldom
well looked after. as the position was
usually a political one, the appointee
being too busy or not adapted TO the
work. The average salary OF state
health officials Is only $4,000 or So,ooo
n year. inadequate to be sure, but the
fault has been with the profession. The
city attorney was more Important ana
better paid.
For several weeks in 1908, Roches.
ter suffered from a continued epidemic
Of scarlet fever. ] called public
meeting to discuss the problem and
nointed out that the city was getting
\ bad name for its failure to control
contagious disease, and that farmers
feared to come to town TO trade; this
appealed to the business men. The
council chamber was stormed, and the
health officer resigned; | was asked to
accept the position the same evening
and accepted the appointment. The
council granted $4,000 a year for an
expense account; there was also sew
eral hundred dollars year income
from fees. l appointed a deputy health
officer. half time, at 81 500 a year, and
an assistant Inspector, half time, at
$50 a month. also clerk at $50
month; and | donated THE office, light
and heat.
| was later elected to the city school
board, a most harmonious and progres
siye group of individuals, its president
woman. Since then We have sold and
rebuilt all but one OF the city schools
and have built high school covering
a city block, as well as six fireproot
buildings. housing in all more Rhan
900 children. In the high school com
mercial courses are given, as well as
manual and vocational training; there
are classes in cooking, dressmaklng
and housekeeping for the girls. Here
also we have a great swimming tank
with a gymnasium for the girls and
one for the boys, with a physical direc.
tor for each group an attractive and
instructive moving picture eXhlbrt IS
given usually twice week. There ls
large school band and orchestra,
Military training and drill have been
given for the last three years mot
COMPULSORY, with most Of the older
boys in uniform Here we give the
frst two wears Of the regular univer-
sitv course under state supervision at
one seventh of the expense at which II
can be obtained BY non-residents al the
state university. This results in about
four times as many OF our students Sc
curing advanced education as those in
other places, and these boys and girls
are more mature when they leave home
to complete the course at the univer'
sitv amid city surroundings We have
school nurse who keeps watchful
care Of absentees. II there Is sickness
among the children of the poor, the
health officer Is notified either by the
school nurse or the city nurse, the lat
ter being supported by the civic league
The state conducts school for the
care and education OF backward children
al cost 20 the state Of several hun
dred dollars a year for each child; Il
wiH allow 500 a year for each child
for the education Of these children in
their home city. Few such children
receive any education, a. their par
ents keep them At home. The local
school board. on invest igation, gath
srsd n SO such children, and bought
an automobile for the school nurse,
Who calls for several Of these children
Who could not otherwise attend school.
we rondurf four such so-called "oppor
tunitv rnons~ with practically no cN-
pense Ia the city. We are nov develop
nr a baby clinic and child welfare
cline with a special nurse and relat :
irg medical service. al under the su-
pe-,is ling 81 the health Office. u i
hoped that this win give the health Of
fre- 4 full and continuous record Of
All TIE children IN the civ.
% may BE- asked, WAY speak q this
school so-kg Fuom the hesEh ofilce
s+suipofnt our greatest trouble IN he
r.-trrl ~ disease comes from the great
mas Il IN Americans who rcslst
ksa1th eantrol q contaeieus dissase -
~ afront % thsir personal hbsrry
Th-- d sl-o true % those who are
~atu-af - ard ~ have lsoeoafi0 ur
-strra straa foreign rcrulstaen. rs
ahr- 7nrsnssa laursf spfak krgl
p -his r-a fd-ai tn-frnst g thr
rs Tsrru IN hHaNh unk sri hv t1l
lauur 80 fhe anstruff5an. We sor1re
-. -he.t -u ~nEa 49, - lArrr