The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1921-03-31
The Sanitary Survey a
Check on Commune
ty Health

or not a profit was being made? An
answer to this question is not neces-
sal.y, because "such an animal does
I,et exist Concerns doing business
that involves the use of other peoples
money have to know-their employers
demand that they know. Old methods
in commerce, no matter how good they
may be, must give way for better
methods. Still, the same expert bus1-
ness men will live their lives in com
slunity and never know whether that
community is the best place to bring
I'D their children in, OF whether the
water is fit to drink. Then when an
epidemic of typhoid or some other
preventable disease occurs, Mr.. Good
Business Man will want to know why
and heaven and earth Will then be
moved in order to check it, when just
: small part of the Xepense and ener-
cy. if used before, would have pre-
vented the occurrence. Why then, you
ask, do these things occur when we
know how to prevent them?
Community health is now almost re-
duced to an exact science. The "art
Ct incidence is rapidly disappearing
andin It's place is coming exact and
scientific medicine. Today you can
buy your protection against disease
IS you do your coal or your flour.
This is literally true with many dis
cases. If YOU are afraid of diphtheria
because it is prevalent in your com
znunity, you can have your blood
tested and know whether you will con-
tract the disease is exposed. Then if
you are found to be susceptible, you
can be treated so that you will not
have diphtheria. Surrey this is buy
ing health.
The control of many other diseases
beside diphtheria is we'll understood by
doctors. Why, then, with all this
of knowledge at our disposal, are We
family seeing persons die of diseases
that are 50 easy of control? Simply
that we keep the fund Of knowledge
ct our disposal and not in use.
Many people will say, eve have
health department and it is supposed
to attend to these things" Yes, you
have a health department, and, in
many cases, without appropriations
sufficiently large to run a good one
horse peanut stand. It seems to be
very slow work, but gradually people
are coming to understand that good
health departments and good health
officers cost money, just as good roads
end good highway departments do. If
YOU want to know where you stand
in the protection from disease. chat
your city is giving it's citizens, take
en- inventory of your health depart
partment, nlck:1lg . sanitary survey
of your citys activities along this
line. Put down in black and white
on one side of the ledger what you
are doing, and on the other side
charge up the things that should be
done, but are not.
The sanitary survey, when complex
ed, should cover all the activities In
the city for the promotion OF gooC
health. 1t should also show where the
Deficiencies are and what should be
done to remedy the complaint Of
shortcomings. Such survey should
contain:
1. Introduction
(a) History of work to date
CO. Industries
>1c) Character of citizens
(d) Assessed valuation
(e) Taxation for all purposes.
(f) Comparison with taxation TO
health.
2. Statistics
(a) Birth rate
(b) Death rate
(c) Infant mortality rate
(d) Longevity rate
(e) Morbidity rate
(f). Death rate from preventabl
diseases
3. Record keeping /.
Covering register for tuberculosis
record cards of communicate
diseases, card index for nu
sances, card indexes for inspe
ton Of milk, meat, foods ar
buildings, and files for report
copies of letters. ETC., all of moe
eyn and accented character.
f. Financial statement
The budgets for two or thr,
- years should be given for con
parison, showing where and no
Increase of work has taxi
place also, statement of salari
of those employed in the, heal
department should be made
5. Communicable diseases
A list of those reported each We
for five wears should be given
comparison purposes. The me
DDS of handling these disea
- should be known, whether co
facts, carriers and missed ca
are being Investigated, and
methods of disfnfection used, al
whether archaeological stud
= were being made.
6. laboratory work
Number and kinds of exami
lions made. ana WheIner mOQE
end up-to-date, and if tests
detection of disease are being c
ried out.
T. Nursing service
(al Number. whether SUFFICE
OBJ Kind and character of nj
ing done.
fcl Routine work
Cd Constructive work