The Natchitoches enterprise., 1921-05-05
Now For A Biz Health Effort.

Some few months ago, to be
more definite, during the early
part of January, The Enterprise
began to urge an Anti Malaria
Campaign and mosquito fight to
be begun in time and from week
to week continued its efforts tC
have action taken. About h e
last Of February nothing having
been done it advocated the plan
submitted by the State Board of
Health to all Louisiana along the
same lines but on bigger scale,
making this fight for health on a
systematic basis Of one year, the
parish to put up $4,000 the Inter-
national Board with the State, the
other S., COO.
Some correspondence began be-
tween our Mayor and DR.. Dow
ling, and DR.. Pratt, health officer
but nothing satisfactory was &C.
accomplished and matters were in
statu quo, until Friday, when DR.
Muench of the International
Board and Mrs. Alpha of the
Public Health Division of the
Red Gross came to Natchitoches
and at meeting arranged for the
purpose, stimulated interest in this
important matter.
DR.. Muench gave practical
business exposition of the plan to
safeguard public health that the
International Board was financing
in several States with local CO.
operation, giving with his statls-
tics, plain figures that anyone
could understand, wing in
round numbers the mortality from
the different preventable diseases
in this parish, based on the State
percentage.
And the greatest menace with
which this parish is threatened,
malaria can be as easily conquered
as Louisiana conquered yellow
fever and stamped out the threat
Of bubonic plague some years ago.
Service as we'll as private agen.
cies stand ready to help us get it
under control and in time elimi-
mated.
On Thursday evening at seven
thirty there will be held in the
Court House a meeting of all those
in the health of Natchi-
oches Parish.
1t has long been known that u
arge proportion of deaths which
'ccur are unnecessary, and that
he majority of cases of illness
rom which we suffer may be pre-
ented. This knowledge has been
pplied to plants and animals long,
r than it has to human beings.
However, it is not a new thing
or us, by any means. Thru pre-.
'entive medicine, New York City
las been made healthier place
0 live in than the country. Vari-
us country districts, on the other
and, have profted by this knowl.
dye to reduce their death rate and
ave the money which they had
Ormerly been spending on sick
ess.
In Natchitoches Parish about
20 deaths occur each year, go of
Which could be avoided. 1867
eople, more or less, are ill each
ay thru sickness that they need |,
ct have. L
Is it necessary to 60 further t.
how this tremendous wastage
'hich we are allowing to drain
ur strength and our bank accountY
Is the life of a calf or an apple
rec worth more than that of a
aby1 If not-then why should
7e spend all our effort on saving
he former and neglect the la:teri
On Thursday, (tonieht) Dr.. I
;ovington Of the International /.
lealth Board will tell of the plan !
y which this Board and the State | /
'oard of Health will aid three I
in Louisiana to establish +
ealth units which will combat .
reventable disease. This work .
IS been wholly successful in other
ates, why should Louisiana lag \
'hind' So every one interested, :!
I'd that means everybody in town, q =
urged to be at the Court House o
night at 1880 and hear DR.. Gov.
gtOn. o.