Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-06-26
Chicago's S Doctor
BY Frederic ]. Haskln.

cities are as interested in their physical
well-being as Chicagoans are, but few Of
them seem TO pursue it with the same
sest and mcrriment that is shown here
periodically.
The latest stunt which the Health De-
partment has pulled for its public is the
arti-fat campaign. This campaign was
not conducted in the usual cut-and-dried
official style, with nninspiring rules and
diets tucked away in odd corners OF the
newspapers. Rather it had distinctly
human and unofficial touch Of sympathy
and concern for the corpulent. DIR. John
Dill Robertson, Commissioner of Health,
was prominently fea tured on the front
pages as stretching out 1 helping hand
TO all his heavy fellow humans, ready to
aid them on the hard road 10 slcnderness.
He even chose ten representative fat
ladies from scores Of volunteers and con-
Quoted classes in physical exercise for
them, and planned their scanty meals.
Their various proceedings and their losses
of weight were printed daily to inspire
hundreds Of other citizens A local beauty
specialist started rival class OF ten fat
men and there was a spirited contest in
which the winners were the losers Of
superfluous pounds.
HE BELIEVES IN PUN.
Some doctors, occupying the exalted
position OF Health Commissioner, might
think that such trivial and fun-provoking
doings were beneath their dignity, but
not so DIR. Robertson. He maintains that
il is Just such friendly and human side
issues in his work for healthy city that
make greater progress possible in the long
nun.
There are two divisions in the work
of any public health service" he said
recently when he was asked how he
managed to make the activities Of his
Office seem such family affairs. I'm the
first place, there are the things that must
be done regularly; the insuring OF pure
water and milk supply, the food inspection
plumbing inspection, and 80 forth. The
second, and by far the more important
division is educational, the spreading Of
information and advice concerning per-
sonal hygiene. In this work, Of course,
the interested cooperation of the news
papers is absolutely necessary. health
commissioner might have all the helpful
scientific knowledge in the world but If
he couldn't reach the public il wouldn't
be Of much use To be of much value
in this position q man has 10 have more
than professional ability, be has TO have
how shall say ia nose for news.
"In other words, he has 10 be able to
see how his various projects will make
good feature stories, be has to get onto
the front pages Of the papers and amuse
and interest his audience before he can
get their attention and educate them.
You know yourself how bored you feel
when some serious-minded person comes
along and announces in big words ms
intention TO educate and reform you and
your wretched kind. You don't listen
to him if you can help il. There is some
thing in the human makeup rebels
against being consciously and mechanical
ly improved.
HEALTH on FRONT PAGE.
81 suppose there are those who think
lose something in dignity by my kind Of
publicity, but gain something of much
more value, the interest of the people.
And to gain that | am willing TO use
methods / might prefer not TO use per-
sonally. Take the anti-fat campaign
for instance OF course, this department
is doing work of much more vital import
ance, but the problems of avoirdupois
have a universal appeal. Everybody
laughs at fat man. The idea OF grand
civic reduction campaign was amusing to
all the slender citizens and offered ray
OF hope TO all the fat ones. And it Ger
tainly was good advertising for us.
Papers all over the country have copied
our stories and many another town IS
conducting wholesale reduction OF tat
according to our plans. The scales on the
elevated stations an q IN the depots are
taking IN threa or four times as many
pennies as they did before we drew alten-
ton TO the fact that fat was an un-
necessary burden. All this publicity re-
minds the average citizen that the Health
Department is human Institution with
an interest in his welfare. Later when
we have some much more important les
son to teach him he will listen more
readily because of this reminder.
II don't mean to say that We conducted
this campaign solely for the adverti sing
it gave u.s." continued DR.. Robertson.
Excessive fat is dangerous as well as
inconyenient. It'shortens life as well as
makes it uncomfortable. The heart and
lungs all larded over with fat have to work
twice as hard. Fat usually means unwise
eating and lack of exercise and that means
inefficient living. So you see the anti-fat
campaign not only rids few people of
few pounds, it also teaches them many
principles of personal hygiene and makes
them happier and more successful eiti-
zens, which is exactly what the Health
Department is for.
DOES NOT LOOK WHAT HE breaches.
II is perhaps beside the point to remark
that DR. Robertson IS none too sylph-
like himself, In fact he is vergIng on
rotundity. The grey sack coat which
decks his frame is capaclous enough for
two slender humans, and his small Van
dyke beard only partially conceals an extra
chin Nevertheless he has done more than
his share of reducing even if he has done
il by proxy, and as he says himself, some
fat is natural and not unhealthy. Fur
thermore there is a well-known theory
that a mans work should be Judged by
itself alone as thing apart from him.
DIR. Robertson undoubtedly subscribes
to this theory
Another of DIR. Robertson's stunts
which gained nationwide attention four
years ago when prices began soaring was
his assertion that one person could live on
thirty-one cents day. He backed this
statement up with proofs For two weeks
twelve members of the department were
fed in the rooms of the School of Domestic
Arts and Sciences with foods bought in
retail stores at thirty-one cents day for
each member. Needless to say their
menus were read with interest by Chicago
housewives and copied all over the
country. Probably not many began to
follow suit eonseientiously, but good