New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-11-18
TWENTY EIGHT MONTHS
MODERN PUBLIC HEALTH
WORK IN NEW MEXICO
CONTINUED from page one)

presents a saving of that much to the
public.
Based on the average so far, the
number of examinations for 1921
will reach $500, and should be even
greater, as the report for September
showed a total of over 1000.
A prominent physician recently
made the statement that the work
done by the Public Health Labora-
tory had done more than any other
one thing to raise the standards of
the medical profession in this State.
As stated at the outset, the origi-
nal health organization consisted of
a Board of Health and the executive
staff, the two together composing
the State Health Department. At
the last session of the Legislature,
it seemed wise to create a greater de-
partment, far more comprehensive
i'm its scope, which should embrace
all phases of public welfare and
should include both the Department
| of Health and the Child Welfare Ser
vice. After careful consideration,
and with the individual assent of
each member of both the Board of
Health and of the Child Welfare
Board, the Legislature created a
State Department of Public Welfare,
thereby making a long step forward
in the social progress of the State.
The law provided for a Board of Pub
lie Welfare of five members, two OF
whom were to be chosen by the Gov
ernor, from the existing Board of
Health, two from the Child Welfare
Board, and a fifth who was not serv-
ing on either board. Under the sup
ervision of this Board were placed
all of the functions existing by the
former State Department of Health
and this department became what
is now known as the State Bureau
of Health, with the Commissioner at
its head under the title of Director
of Health. No other change what
ever was made, and the present Bur-
eau of Health is simply the former
Health Department under new sup
ervisiOn and a modified lame. The
same may be said of the Child We'll
fare Service, which is now the Bur-
eau of Child Welfare, coordinate in
every respect with the Bureau of
I1tdlln AZ It's ntdu 10 the
of Child Welfare, who holds the
same relative position in her domain
that the Director of Health has in
his own The opportunities before
this Department are tremendous, not
only in the realm of health, which
has been amply explored and Guilt
waited during these recent years, but
in that fertile and untitled field of
social welfare that presents inviting
prospects of future development.
Lest you be wearied by the recital
of many details, ! have selected some
of the outstanding accomplishments
of the Bureau of Health and shall
present them in outline form.
While our health law is compre-
hensiye, it is lot specific. Its gen.
eral provisions are enforced by means
or regulations, which the Board is
empowered to issue. The regula-
tions under which the law is admin
istered were formulated by the staff
of the Bureau. after a careful study
of all those existing elsewhere. They
are complete and modern in every
respect.
Under the regulations for the re-
of communicable diseases,
$4,000 report cards were received,
classified and filed. last year. This
mass of reports did not cost the
State one cent, as they were made
on franked postal cards furnished
by the L. S. Public Health Service.
This system makes ii impossible for
outbreak of disease to gain head
way anywhere in the State, with the
possible exception of a few remote
rural districts.
Births and deaths registered with
the Bureau in 1920 totaled 10000,
which were checked and filed dur
ing the year. Judging from the num-
Der already filed with the Bureau of
Health, the returns for 1921 will be
very much larger, this being due TO
the fact that people are beginning
to realize the value of such registra-
ton.
During 1920, ten outbreaks of di-
were investigated and controll-
ed by members of the staff OF the
Bureau of Health. Among this num-
Der was a serious epidemic of ty-
phoid fever in one city, which came
abruptly to a stop when the source
or infection was discovered and re-
This year the Bureau CO
operated with the u. S. Public Health
in controlling an outbreak
Of typhus fever, on the Navajo Res
ervation, which was thereby confin-
ed to its original focus and finally
eradicated completely within little
more than a month after il was dis
covered.
In the winter of 1919 and 1920.
well over 10000 school children
were v~accinated against smallpox
under the supervision of the Bureau
Of Health. The result of this was
striking. Until that time. small
pox was constantly present in the
State, averaging about 20 cases a
When vaccination was gen.
erlly observed, the weekly average
Of cases declined from 20 to 3, at
which point il has remained. This
Is even more gratifying when we con-
that smallpox is gradually in
,reasing throughout the central and
western part of the United States.
During 1920, more than $4,000 was
to the people of the State on
antitoxin alone, through
he contract which the Bureau made
or its wholesale purchase and dis
.ribution. over 100000 units hav-
ng been used. Arsphenamine. the
lrug that is used in treating syphi-
is was distributed either free or at
,ost. TO the of 1899 doses.
1920.
Aside from the regular inspections
# all water supplies and sewage
plants. the Sanitary Engi-
Ieer has drawn complete plans for
municipal sewage disposal sys-
and several hundred institu-