Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-07-17
HEALTH IN MAINE
WORK OF Mp. 4,
TRAINING THE UNITS


its rivers ana forests. its broad open
spaces. its bracing climate and It's won
derful coast country Maine has an un-
excelled foundation for health and hap
piness. To develop this foundation
and to add to It until Maine IL recog-
| nized throughout the world as "the
healthiest state in the Union" IL the
aim Of the Maine Public Health Asso-
citation and the many Statewide or
ganizations which are cooperating with
it. Disease ana courses of disease
are being combatted through scientific
methods Of prevention. Better health
for all is the aid Of the work. Through
out the State Walter Thurber, execu-
tive secretary of the association, is
now actively engaged in the various
campaigns that go to make up the
ambitious and we'll planned program
called for during the current year.
Nursing service, child welfare, elm
les for physicians and surgeons, open
air schools, cancer cont: 81. preventio,
of tuberculosis and prevention of blind
ness comprise the more important
points on the schedule. Eight nurses
working from the associations aftiltat-
| ed societies in many of the cities and
counties make a total Of about $4,000
calls each IL months. The office Of
the State association in the Capital
City has full time nurse n its en-
ploy who is continually on the out
look for an opportunity to ed and to
educate people that they may aid them
;,;n afai nin
the most precious of our natural as
sets. Each unit of population embody-
| ing 5000 PEI rs is being urged to re-
i tain a public health nurse for that
sole purpose.
\ Perhaps the heal II of the children
,, receives the greatest emphasis and
there surely can be no criticism in
thus placing the youngsters at the
head Of the list. To train them to
care for themselves, to make a part
of their habits the fundamental con-
cepts of the care of the human body
is a large task. Thirty-two thousand
| OF Names boys and girls are or
Ganized into legions of Modern
Health Crusaders through the assist
ance of the graded schools. Eleven
daily chores" are part Of the in
struction, not difficult but calculated
to form health promoting habits
within a short period. On the walls
Of the secretarys Office may be seen
one of the charts illustrating these
daily tasks. Though it has been
many years since the writer attend
cd the graded schools he studied the
youthful pictures there portrayed
! and learned much that other sources
had left untouched. 1t is a good
work.
But the care of the child precedes
its birth. Without healthy mothers
how can the children be aught but
sickly? Medical consultants and
clinical staff give both prenatal and
post-natal advice to young mothers.
Better Babies" is not an idle slo-
gan.
The physicians of the state also arc
included in the plans of the associa-
ton. Indeed the doctors were chiefly
instrumental in the oriniga1 organiza-
ton Of the society. Clinics are held
every few months to which distin-
guished men in the profession from
metropolitan centers are glad to
share their magic gifts with our own
medical men. In the past winter a
clinic was held at Bangor, and in
Lewiston the second Is to be given
next month. This work OF course
reflects itself in the labors Of the
physicians and is appreciated great
ly by them.
Fresh air schools have been es-
tablished in Bangor and Portland by
the NJ. P. H. A. with beneficial re-
suits to the children enrolled and
with no loss of time in the regular
academic work. These will be ex-
tended as soon as possible to Au-
gusta, Auburn, Lewiston. Waterville
and other Maine cities. Great num-
bers of boys and girls have been
given better health by these means.
| In the rural districts the Asso-
citation join hands with hundreds Of
oranges and women's clubs. Pamph-
let's, lectures, exhibits all are dis
tributed in huge quantities to the
interested workers. The farmers
are eagerly receptive to information
on all health subjects.
tuberculosis and cancer. the
dreaded diseases, are being driven