The Semi-weekly leader., 1921-12-17
PLAIN TALK FROM
HEALTHDIRECTOR
DR.. Slaughter Addresses Women
On Sanitation and Child
Welfare.

DR.. Slaughter, who has so assidu-
ously pursued her duties in this
county in Child Welfare Work the
past several months, spoke Monday
afternoon in the sub-story of the
Baptist Church There was a grati-
flying attendance and DR.. Slaughter
had the opportunity of impressing
her observations and her purpose In
the uplift Of health. She did this in
no unInistakeable manner and gave
bald facts about sanitary conditions
and our state of health that became
absolutely pathetic, altho they had
their humorous side as told by the
genial if earnest young woman.
Among other notable things testi-
flying to our delinquency, DR.. Slaugh-
ter mentioned a letter from a little
girl in a nearby school telling of
the utter failure of her principal to
do the very thing he was requested
to do for the physical relief of his
pupils in his school And this when
40 per cent of Mississippi children
have hook worm
Lincoln County is the only county
in the State where toilets are not
provided at the schools-there are
two erudely constructed. DR.. Slaugh-
ter traced the hook-worm from this
source-its ingress in the foot that
presses polluted ground and on into
the system through the alimentary
canal with resulting i'll health in
body and mind. This is happening
every day in Lincoln County where
the earth is contaminated by the ex-
creta from human beings.
DR.. Slaughter told of examinations
at schools. She examined, in Brook
haven, pupils who were left over
from previous tests and out of 14O
found 62 under weight. This is a
serious defect and tells of disease
lurking in the system that will be
expressed later in definite form. Out
of the 140 Brookhaven pupils there
were 1T with bad teeth also.
AT Heuck's there were 70 under
weight and SS with bad teeth, out of
100 examined.
At Nola 70 out of 95 had bad
teeth. There is tragedy going on in
our schools to the point of crucifix-
ion," said DR.. Slaughter.
ut takes dirt to grow things =
no germ can develop on stone-on
clean teeth" Bad teeth make bad
tonsils with resultant heart trouble
etc., invariably.
No wonder quarter of a million
children die before they are four
years DID,"
A glimpse into the economic val
ue of health may be found in the
fact that there are 5000 inmates in
our asylums for the insane. 1t costs
S35 month to keep them-total
$310,000 a month the taxpayers
pay thru appropriations necessary.
A little more than one-half of one
per cent of our people are mentally
defective. The origin is found in un-
healthy bodies.
The reporter of the Leader here
reached a oonclusions- II, health X
corrected at the fountain source, be-
ginning now with babes unborn, the
constant expense of enlarging hospit-
ais, asylumse and other institutions
for human relief will soon be obvia-
ted. People are suffering from ignor-
ance of laws or the wiIful breaking
of them; and, more largely yet per-
haps, from lack of spiritual under
standing. Disease is constantly in
creasing as things are. Truly "An
ounce of prevention is worth pound
of cure" Good health will help to
relieve taxation.
But-we should mention too, that
dreaded eye diseases are encroaching
upon our unguarded vision and the
EYE should receive attention under
prevailing conditions that obtrude
themselves to our hurt.
Sanitary conditions in Lincoln
County should be changed. Follow
UP work should be prosecuted after
examinations. Eight of our 80 eoun-
ties have full-time health officers and
four other counties are urging un-
its. Each county forms a unit and
the doctors and nuurse are paid by
the State-the county pays inciden-
tai expenses. $1,000 a month is the
present appropriation by the State.
Women as voters are in better po-
sition than formerly to see that
health and other ordinances are en-
forced. If incumbent officers don't
do their duty, others can be elected.
Statistics Of the campaign in Lin
coin county will be published. While
we fear we shall not be proud of
them, we are gratified that our peo-
pie are being informed and we are
willing to rely on their intelligence
and judgment after they have learn
ed the truth. While Mississippi is
behind educationally she is ahead in
her Child Welfare program.
There is brighter and better day
dawning for us in which the rosy
faces of little children grown tall"
shine like suns on our Highway to
Health.