Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-02-22
GEORGIA SPENDS
MORE IN HEALTH
Fine Progress Made Dur
ing Last Two Years
Here

1t is extremely doubtful that any
state in the union has made more
progress in preventive medicine, es-
pecially per dollars spent, during the
past two years than has Georgia.
Up until January the first this year
the legislature was appropriating an
nually, to the State Board Of Health.
only thirty thousand five hundred dol
lars. With a population Of nearly
three million, this amount would en-
able the state board to invest only
about two cents in the health OF each
man, women and child in the state.
After this money had been conserva-
lively invested by the board and the
good results of it were so obvious,
the next legislature appropriated an
additional thirty thousand for the
health department We will ask you
TO Judge for yourself whether the
money has been judiciously handled.
On January LIST, 1919, two new bu
reaus were established. One for re-
ceiving and recording reports of births
and deaths, known as the department
of Vital Statistics Never before was
our state able to keep these important
ant records by reason of the lack of
funds for the establishment and main
tenance of this bureau. For civ
ilized people these records are abso-
lutely indispensable and citizens of
ha nd
of the fact that the establishment of
such department was deferred until
this late hour.
Under the Division of Epidemiology
and Rural Sanitation there has been
established eight county departments
o. health under the Ellis Health Law"
since January the first, with a full
time Commissioner of Health in Of
flee. This makes a total of fourteen
cities organized under this law. Sew
eral others have had the two nee
ressaIy recommendations and large
numler have had one grand jury rec
UmmendaLion. This, Of course, ena-
bles lie state board to do much more
and better work in these counties as
the county board of health is an agen-
cy through which the state depart
ment can and does function in Civ
en county; even though the activities
Of the state board are not limited to
any number of counties, it is perfect
Iy obvious that where a county main
tains a health officer he will be con-
stantly on guard for the protection of
the health of the people and when nee
essary will make use of any addition
al help; such as the U. S. Public
Health Service and the State Board of
Health when such aid is needed.
The archaeological work of this
department has been worth a great
deal. A large number of epidemics of
scarlet fever, diphtheria, typhoid fe-
yer influenza and few cases Of cere-
brospinal meningitis and lethargic en-
cephalitis have received the attention
and advice of this department. A
vast amount of information, as to the
prevalence and distribution Of certain
communicable diseases has been gath
cred through the reports which the
physicians make to this bureau.
Tue Division of Venereal Disease
Control has been doing some most ex-
cellent work, not only in the distribu-
ton of treatment for syphilis, but
three thousand one hundred ninety
eight patients were given institutional
treatment for Venereal Disease, One
thousand four hundred and thirty were
treated outside of clinics, Literature
ON the subject of social disease, as
well as the exhibition Of slides, pic
ture films, charts, maps, and so on,
MANY lectures on the subject have
been delivered to medical meetings
Civic and Governmental bodies, Won
ems Clubs and many other organiza
tons.
The work which has been done by
the laboratory should be known tC
every citizen of Georgia. This de
partment has rendered a service tc
the people of the state which far ex
ceede in value the total appropria
tiou for the whole health board. few
of these items we quote below ever
though lack of space prevents the use
of many detailed statements. From
January the first to November thu
first, this laboratory had dispensed
167.847 doses of typhoid vaccine val
uaa at 25c per dose, a total value o
s41.g62. 90, 23,768,0OO units Of diphthe
RE antitoxin have been distributed ant
actually cost the state board more
than sS.0OO.OO, 1908 doses of influ
en2a vaccine have been distributes
which were worth at least 25c per dos'
or Sl8.765.75. There were 5,45S Was
serman blood tests for syphilis made
These examinations would have cos
the recipients $1,000 per treatment, o
s545S0.00 had they been forced t
buy from private laboratories. Fiji
teen thousand and ninety bacteriologi
cal specimen have been examined
which we're worth at least one dolla
each. or SIS, 10000 BY adding thesi
figures together we see the laborator,
alone has actually rendered servic,
worth S15O.4s4f5, during the first
ten months os the year.