The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1922-02-10
DR.. OLIN WEST WAS
SUNDAY SPEAKER
Under Auspicesof Christian Endeayor
Last Sunday.


the epidemic of influenza one OF the
largest audiences Of the year greeted
DR.. Olin West, Secretary of the State
{ Board Of Health, in his vivid descrip-
tion of the work that faces those in
! terested in public health.
1 The address was preceded by a
musical selection rendered by Miss
Morton Covington and reading
number by Miss Inez Loyelace.
DR.. West expressed his approval OF
the Sunday afternoon meetings and
thought that they were one method
Of correcting some of the Sunday
mischief and meanness that are con-
stantly on the increase.
AS secretary of the State Board OF
Health and also editor of the State
Medical Journal, he has a keen in
sight into the condition of the health
OF the State, and from the great store
Of knowledge of existing conditions
he drew vivid picture of the unde-
served reputation that our fair State
is cultivating.
DR.. West reminded us that there
are only two other States that have
higher death rate from tuberculosis
than our own State. Every day in
our dear State there are 10000 peo-
ple ready to step into their graves
from this dread disease. To our great
shame there are only three publicly
owned tubercular hospitals in the
State and these only afford three
hundred beds and tuberculosis can
only be successfully treated in insti-
tutions.
DR.. West showed how it was not
necessary to go to other climates to
get well; the proper thing was to get
hospital treatment early. The State
Board of Health would like to get at
the bottom of things and start with
the child as it is here that most OF
the tuberculosis is contracted.
Tuberculosis does not get in its
deadly work until the individual is
below par. The great problem is un-
dernourishment, the children are
loaded up with improperly prepared
food that they can not get nourish-
ment out Of. He urges more sensible
feeding of the school child, better
sanitation, better housing and teach
ing in the public schools of domestic
science that is really science.
DR.. West glorified the fact that a
Tennessee baby is the most precious
thing under the sun, because here
remains the best form of American
ism. We haven't had the influx OF
foreign blood that threatens the
Eastern and Western parts of our
great country. We should care for
these valuable AngloSaxon heirs.
Yet think of it, 5000 of these pre-
cious little ones that are born alive
die before their first birthday. Last
year one county lost 10 per cent of
her babies before they were one year
old. If this had been live stock all
of the experts in the country would
have been called in. Ten per cent OF
all the children born in this State die
before they are one year old, to say
nothing of the hundreds born dead.
DR.. West spoke of the "grandmoth-
err way of feeding babies and said
that if our Creator had intended for
children to eat some of the things
that their grandmothers and mothers
feed them that he would have caused |
them to be born with teeth as long
as his arm; that no man had ever
been able to improve on natures way
of feeding babies.
DR.. West stressed the fact that
BUSINESS men from an economic stand
point had cause to take action; that |
thousands are turning away from
this State every year due to the bad
reports that go out regarding tuber-
culosis and infant mortality.
DR.. West emphasized the need of
full time health officers and of
school examination. He finds that so
many school children are under
nourished that some schools have 7S
per cent of the children with defect
i've teeth and others with defective
vision. So far DIR. West has failed
to find a school that hasn't pupils
with defective vision. Defective hear
ing, mental diseases, etc, are all
present in our schools and children
from homes with contagious diseases
continue to go to school.
Typhoid fever and hockworm go
together. Both are diseases Of filth.
Typhoid vaccination has helped, but
sanitation Is the thing that viii erad-
icate both of these diseases II
A great fight Is being made on ma