Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-09-29
Health Crusaders
(Continued from Pace Three)

health conditions may be all classed
under three heads, members of the
medical profession. official health au-
thorities and volunteer unofficial
health organizations.
| The work Of these different groups
may be summarized as follows: The
doctors blaze the way through scien-
tiic research and Experimentation, and
| establish certain facts regarding the
treatment and the prevention OF dis
case: the State and local authorities re-
ceive appropriations for the work in
| almost the exact proportion Of the
public sentiment in favor Of improved
health conditions; and the volunteer
agency following the teachings OF the
medical profession and supporting the
health officers, and composedas they
are Of laymen and representatives Of
the medical and dental professions
they are in strategic position 10 IN
terest the people in community health
as we'll as IN individual health. 1t is
evident, therefore, that the health
work in a community, state or nation
depends upon close cooperation of
these three groups.
Why, then, should any community or
state organize within itself volunteer
health associations. each specializing
in some special phase Of the health
work. any more than they should have
special health officers for each disease
listed in the medical dictionary?
Then too. by having one organiza
ton expense would be kept down as
instead of separate executives, stem
oera piers. nurses. each would handle
Z all classes of work.
The speaker also said that he be-
lieved that by splitting up the health
work into various volunteers Organi-
"a tons. it was only making it more
difficult to organize public sentiment
which must necessarily be cultivat-
ed for the success Of such an under
taking as public health.
lie closed with the following:
The chief underlying thought or
principle in every volunteers public
health organization is Keep Well
! Let us unite the volunteer health
workers in one organization with one
staff, one Office expense. one appeal
for funds and at the same time pre-
serve through definite committees or
divisions. the specialized interest Of
those whose chief concern is the cam
paign against tuberculosis, the move
ment to control cancer. the control Of
social desease, the promotion Of in
FAINT welfare, the prevention Of blind
ness, etc
Hubert M. Sedewick
Hubert NJ. Sedswick secretary Of
the Connecticut Tuberculosis Com
the same question.
He said thar the topic was 4 pecul-
arly timely one and that the question
! goes to the root of the present health
organization. I'VE are organized to
Ccnqlef~ disease. he said, chow can
I; we best 10 it?" We of the negative
answer by by most intenslvely apply
ing out forces. Each disease is in
! dividual. presenting its peculiar prob
lens and requiring individual re
/ search and treatment.
If the general plan were used. say
in the treatment OF tuberculosis. gen
eral nursing would necessarily be
| used and this has proved in many
! communities from which protests are
| constantly being received that the
tuberculosis patient does not receive
the attention aud treatment that he
! should, because the nurses neglect
| his case on the plea that other pa
! tients are sicker than he.
F.; In the work Of the physical look
+, hcw an Application would work A
! general practitioner would take
| charge Of the case and his limited
! Skill would not be sufficient.
The National Campaign was then
| taken up. The speaker said that the
thing that helped greatly in the ma
! tiOnal campaign was the fact that
many families which have lost one or
! more of their members by this dis
/ case have risen against il and are
working in the volunteer health units
! against it, Rut he did not think it
/ wise to merge these people into
general health unit for the fight
! against all classes of disease.
! The Christmas stamp IN many
places is having hard work 10 live be
cause Of the consolidation Of health
activities The Community chests
are taking its place and vet the
stamp is one Of the things upon
which thousands of lives are depend
ont.
The fact that the Health trust
Weakens the individual campaign
against disease by weakening the
i. cal units was also brought out Mr..
.Sodevick said that in the case of this
trust" what is eVcryones business is
m ones business and the campaign
would suffer as natural conse
uUencc
He then stated that he was not dis
couraging ordination of health ef-
fort but simply combating the idea
of public health association as
cure ali for the organiza ton weak
resses.
As an example of the effect of this
mcreinG Of interests, he took our own
State in which for the past year "A
campaign against bovine tuberculosis
has been going on. He said that
nothing has been done by tHe Public
Health association 70 combine the
study of the human and bovine forms
Of this disease at this most suspicious
time as would certainly have hap
pened if the tuberculosis association
were still in existence in this State.
A general discussion of this aues
ton occupied the rest of the evening
at which several expressed their opin-
. . ion both for aud against this mers-
ing of interests.