The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-06-28
"a eric Hasl.in !. Letter


Ing for 20. Papsrs IN a., s.
country have copied our stoeies 49,
Meny another town 4 eoadrreiss = S
Wholesale reduction q m nssscs2s S
Ing to our plans. TIE seSles -;
the elevated stations ana 4 ~ - Is
pots are taking in thrse 81 ~ z
times - many pennies q ~, M !.
before We drew attention 10 ~ ~
that fat was an unnecessary hrrsss
All this publicity reminds ~ ~
age citizen that the health deps,s.
men u : human institution WI nr
interest In his welfare. Later vhs-s
We have some much more imnoss.
ant lesson TO teach him - ~
listen more readily because Of IA
reminder.
Il don't mean to say that :.
conducted this campaign solely a.
the advertising It gave w." contis.
ued DR.. Robertson. "E1cessive q,
II dangerous as we'll ~ incouyes.
lent. II shortens life ~ well s.
makes it uncomfortable. Tia haa,s
and lungs all larded over vim A.
have to work twice as hard ~
usually means unwise eating NJ
lack Of exercise and that meana n. !.
efficient living. So you sec thu ~.
fat campaign not only rids ! ~
people Of few pounds; II alrn
teaches many more. principles &
personal hygiene and makes ~
happier and more successful citi,ens
which Is exactly what the health de-
partment is for"
Does Not Look What He Preacher.
1t 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 Il
capacious enough for two slender
humans, and his small vandyks
beard only partially conceals an
extra chin. Nevertheless he has
done more than his share of reduc.
ing even il he has done 1t BY proxy,
and as he says himself. some fat d
natural and not unhealthy. Fur
thermore there ID q well known
theory that mans work should b.
judged by itself alone as a thing
apart from him. DR.. Robertson un-
doubtedly subscribes to this
theory.
Another of DR.. Robertson's
stunts which gained nationwide At.
tention four years ago when prices
began soaring was his assertion
that one person could live on 81
cents day. He backed this state
ment up with proofs. For two weeks
IL members Of the department were
fed in rooms Of School Of Domes-
tic Arts and Sciences with food1
bought in retail stores at 81 cent?
q day for each member. Needles
to say their menus were read with
interest by Chicago housewives and
copied all over the country. Prob
ably not many began to follow suit
conscienuously, but a good many
certainly learned many useful facts
about diet and the buying Of nour.
ishing foods. And this could not
have been accomplished one-tenth
as effectively by the ordinary meth
cd Of sending out health depart
ment bulletins.
Although DR.. Robertson's adver-
Using activities receive the most
attention they are by no means the
greatest part Of his work. They
only help him to accomplish his
larger purposes. Among other
things he has, during his five years
of Office, made Chicago's water sup
ply test 1898 by chlorination Of tho
water, thus giving Chicago the low
est typhoid death rate in the coun-
try; he has enforced the pasteuriza-
ton Of all milk used in the city;
has reduced the scarlet fever death
rate more than so per cent and the
diphtheria death rate more than -
per cent. The Municipal Tubercu-
losis sanatorium Of which be 10
president, is caring for 5000 pa
tients who are being taught useful
occupations while they recover. In
1919 he organized training
school for home nurses which offers
an eight week course. Up to date
$500 have graduated from it. Dr.
Robertson intends that no future
epidemic like the flu shall find u
SO short of nurses.
And So it can be seen that even
If he does get a lot Of rather friv.
olous advertising for professional
man his work is not all on the
surface, and is not all as frolicsome
as the fat ladies' class in calisthen-
! les.