The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-08-21
HEALTH NEWS
Range of U. S. Public Health Service
Work


"Glad as the U s. public health SER
vice has BEEN" says Surgeon General
H. S, Cumming, ito do its part in the
disqualification and care of the Ill and
disabled soldiers with whom its off,
GERS had become so well acquainted
while serving in the army hospitals in
France and elsewhere, this duty did
not constitute a part Of the public
health functions of the service. but was
undertaken through patriotism and be-
cause the service was the only govern
ment agency that had an organization
and hospitals available when the need
came. Later its assignment to this
duty was made matter of law.
From March 8, 1919, when this law
went into effect, to May 81, 1921, when
the disqualification and care of nearly
half of these patients was transferred
to the war risk bureau, the number of
former military patients in charge Of
the service increased from $40 to 25,-
600, with indications of still further IN
crease. From the first the number had
increased much faster than the total
capacity of the government hospitals
could be extended; and almost from
the first the service was compelled to
place about two thirds of its patients
(10,500 on May /. 1921. in private hos
pitfalls under contract.
Responsibility for these 1o,5o0 pa
tents has already been restored to
the war risk bureau; and, IL the bills
pending before congress become law,
the disqualification of the patients car
ed for in government hospitals, as well
as in contract" hospitals will rest
with the war risk; and the public
health service will merely render hos
pital care to those whom the war risk
assigns to 1t.
This will enable the service to turn
a much larger share Of it's energies
to it's traditional duty Of protecting
the country against the Importation
of foreign disease; conducting scien-
tific research into important problems
involving the cause, treatment and
cure of preventable or communicable
disease; investigating the diseases to
which worlkingmen are subject by rea-
son of their employment; cooperating
with the states in the control of cpl
denies, in rural hygiene, child hygiene.
venereal disease, and so on.
s'The Marine Hospital service, which
developed into the public health ser
vice, was created in July, 1898. to
furnish medical care to the sick and
American merchant seamen.
Hospitals were built at the principal
seaports and later on some of the
larger rivers and the Great Lakes.
"The officers of the service at the
coast hospitals were naturally the first
to come into contact with such diseases
as cholera, yellow fever, and small
pox when imported from abroad, and
were able to render aid to the state
in enforcing quarantine
measures. Later, the states, one by
one, turned over their quarantine sta
tons to the service. New York being
the last to fall into line.
In March. 1890. congress authorized
The public health service to cooperate
With state and local health agencies in
the interstate spread OF
disease. The cooperation thus init-
lted has been extended to many other
forms of health work and has become
. settled policy. It's workings have |
been exceedingly beneficent. for they
rave brought the experience gained
rom the whole country to bear on
Zach particular problem in each par
ocular place. They have also melted |
he different states to appropriate I
money for their own health needs in i
rider to obtain government leadership
md other government assistance. On /
N average. the country gets about IS .
worth of effective health work for ev- ,
'ry dollar the government expends in
his way.
Assistance In the control of yellow /
ever. smallpox and other communities t
,Ie diseases led directly into research
or their causes and to educational /
york, to end them by informing the t
ountry of what had been discovered /
nd how to make use of it. For the re-
earch work. congress established In