Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1921-01-14
COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY
ENDORSES HEALTH WORK
Health Officer Reads Report to the So.
eiety and Gives Figures to Show
That a Part Of the Work Was Worth
Over $l3,7S4 to the County. Re.
port is as Follows:


Over $l3,7S4 to the County. Re.
port is as Follows:
Before beginning a detailed re.
port of the work done by the
County Health Department fol-
1920, wish to thank the physi.
clans of the county for their
splendid spirit and cooperation
towards the work of the County
and State Boards of Health
Public health in a county is not
expected to reach the highest
standard Of efficiency in one year,
but like other organizations must
grow gradually as the public is
educated to take advantage of it.
The detailed report is as follows:
The total number of cases re-
ported in 1920 was SIG, while
that for 1919 was CTS. These
were as follows, whooping cough,
1920 200, 1919 l84; typhoid fever.
1920 27, 1919 SO; diphtheria. SO,
1919 80; chicken pox, 95, 1919 73;
measles, ID, 1919 157; septic sore
throat, 10, 1919 10; scarlet fever,
%, 1892. The total reduction
in the number of contagious dis
eases for 1920 was 149. The val
uation of contagious disease re-
duction is fixed at $25 per case
by the State Board of Health,
making a total saving for the
county of So. 725. There has been
small epidemics of whooping
diphtheria and scarlet
fever during the year. A great
deal of work has been done and
a large amount of literature sent
out to get teachers and house.
holders to report diseases when
there has been no physician call
ed, for it is recognized that un.
less there is good reporting there
cannot be good work done in
quarantining. This will account
for at least rs per cent of the
cases of whooping cough, chicken
pox and smallpox cases reported
this year. Visits have been made
as follows: Whooping cough
cases 7. measles l. diphtheria 10,
scarlet fever 10. septic sore
throat 2. smallpox z, typhoid
fever 6.
In the educational work there
has been AZ public meetings with
a total attendance of 5000. at
which lectures were given on
pertaining to health,
rural sanitation, quarantine, etc.
(Valuation not fixed). There
have been sent out 4737 letters
pertaining to health work in the
There have been pub
lished 124 news articles in the
county papers pertaining to pub
lie health. A 1000 foot film on
7. B. has been shown 16 times to
an estimate of 5000 people in the
One fair exhibit with a
baby contest has been held. For
ty one hours have been spent in
conferences at the Office of the
health department.
In the soil pollution work we
have had built 1757 sanitary pri-
vies. The international Health
Board has built tens of thousands
Of privies in the south, and their
estimate is that it costs about
$3.50 to reach and persuade the
average rural resident to build a
sanitary privy. Applying this
cost figure to the privies built
within the county during the
year we have the financial equi-
valent of $3,37 There has been
1873 examinations for hookworm,
valued at $1.50 each we have the
equivalent of $207. OF the mum.
Der examined AZ were positive
and 3 have been treated and cur
ed, value this at $500 each and
we have the equivalent of SIS.
There have been SO water analy.
ses and some improvements
made. Valued at SIS we have the
equivalent of $l65 making a total
valuation in this unit of So,
The work in the school consist
ed of rs visits during which 2S5
children were examined (valua.
ton not fixed). A colored dem