Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-05-04
DR.. JAMES M. ANOERS
On Health Day

A RAISING of the health standards of the
~ city is seen by DR.. James NJ. Andcrs,
chairman OF tho Public Health Day com
mittcc and prominent physician OF the city
in the annual observance of such daE'
I'VE have good reasons. Sald IT.
bratiou of such day is popuar2lng me
movement now on for raising the health
standards Of the community. and tnai ~
serves TO impress upon tn" publlc nlhu III
n peculiar way the great value OF KNOW
edge Of personal hygiene and proper SAM
tation.
"Philadephia enjoys tn" distinction of
being the only large city that annually on'
serves publ" health day. Without DOUBT
n city can attain real efficiency in tho i'm
portant matter Of sanitation only when
backed up by favorable public sentiment
which this health day will. 1t is hoped
aid in bringing about.
The Department Of Health, so ably pre-
sided over by DR.. Furbush. Is aiming to
bring about physical fitness which Is rCcog-
nzcd az n requisite for efficient civic per-
formancc. but to accomplish its task this
department must have public co operation.
We no longer expect the Department "i
Health aud our publ" and pnrorhlaI
schools to carry on tho Who'll" work OF m
structng tho community in personal ny
gicnc and sanitation. but portion ot Ihr
burden should be borne by cIvIc. medical
and allied bodies.
Health of City Most Valuable Asset
"Icalth or physical fitness is the most
valuable asset Of a municipality. Health
officials and citizens especially interested in
public health believe that III" present is
ioncGul period for physical upbuildiug in
Wow of a marked falling of in immigration
This means lcsScning in the number of
our difficult groups and creates much
wider opportunity for more rapid progress
If facilities can be provided for NOR" lntcn-
sivc effort. The necessity is unqu"Ntion"d;
II has long hccu known thar our national
uhySiQuc l. slowly bur p"rSi~t"ntly d"tori.
Grating Th" world war revealed an nppal-
ing number Of physical d"h"irn"i"s in our
Young manhood. II has also been shown
that the immense majority Of these defects
are prcvCntabc principally by due altcn-
tion to health CducHtion, which should be-
gin virtually Ht birth. and be continued in
our schools, our colleges and universities
1T was shown additionally during the
war that the manufacturing states of New
EnCand and the East made tho worst show
ing in the physical examinations for mill
tnrv service. The principal cause for this
s,atc of things Is lack Of health supervision
OF the employees. Virtually all employers
that have adopted suitable health measures
among their employees have found that the
plan has resulted in greater and more ctt =
Ccnt productions
MaInutrition Causes Physical Disability
1t has been we'll said that one of the
greatest causes of physical disability in our
maturCd population is malnuritiOn of chill
drcn The factors TO be overcome in con-
ncction with efforts to prevent this manu-
triton are poverty, including insufficient
and unsuitable food, danger of infection,
lack Of fresh air and sunshine. Mothers
should be taught caution lest they convey
colds to their children by kissing and
sncczing or coughing in their faces. 1t is
wcll known that many diseases observed in
Older children and adults begin in infancy
II is for these reasons that we stress child
health as being of the greatest importance
10 the race. physically and morally.
I'VE desire to impress parents with the
established fact that the healthy child will
often withstand an attack Of disease and
rnpidly recover, while the child that Is not
strong VIII perish. We also stress the sig
nifrant truth that no city, state or nation
rnn afford TO overlook tn" proper care of its
child population, and neglect of such service
means an inefficient and physically unfit
riliZcnry TO carry on the industrial and
economic battles of life. In short, we aim
10 wake the general public to its obligation
in the line of supporting the efforts of our
health departments and officials. The pub
lie should not only 90 operate with health
officials by Obryng all the rules and regulu
tiOns which these lay down, but should SUP
mort the efforts of the various agencies
which have for their object the teaching of
right standards of living and thus aid in
eliminating disease.
! ''It may not be generally known that