The Hope pioneer., 1922-12-14

been a recent event. A few dishearten-
ing instances Of political tampering
with health departments have occurred
OF late. 1t is also true that the level
Of pay is far too low. Even the few
highest salaries suffer painfully In
comparison with the annual incomes OF
leading private consultants and sur.
geons.
Politics Must Be Kept Out.
"A greater share OF popular ad.
miration, larger freedom from control,
close personal relations with appre-
ciative individuals, a deeper sense Of
professional pride, probably are still
the portion of the practitioner Of cura.
tive medicine.
"The cry is frequently heard thai
this governmental service or that must
be taken out Of politics. In one sense
this is absolutely essential to efh-
cheney. A public function which calls
for technical expertness is hopelessly
handicapped If it be treated as the
spoils Of political boss or of victori-
GUS party machine. To no public serv-
ice does this apply more strikingly
than to department of health. The
moment efforts are made to influence
appointments, promotions, salaries,
policies. law enforcement, by political
pressure for individual or party ends
the decentralization of the work begins.
The degree to which such things
are possible is an index of the intelli.
gence, spirit and character Of a COM
munity. Yet in another, the original,
meaning Of politics, public health ough,
always to be in politics. The sufe-
guarding Of health of the people is a
community task and responsibility.
One Of the essential qualifications
Ct a successful health officer is the
ability to explain his policies So as to
win support for them"
Reviews colIecs Work.
Tie report goes OH to review the
work Of the public health department
at Johns Hopkins university. Harvard,
the University of Pennsylvania and
New York university. Then, writing
OF the establishment Of preventive and
curative medicine clinics where service
might be had at mo aerate cost. Doctor
Vincent says:
can experiment in meeting this de-
mand was begun by the Cornell Uni
versity Medical school in New York
city in November, 1921, with the CO.
operation Of a special committee of the
United Hospital fund. The work Of
this committee. which is helping to
improve standards of dispensary man
asement and service, is supported by
the Rockefeller Foundation. The ini-
tial deficit of the Cornell clinic demon
stration, which is expected to become
Self-supporting, was underwritten by
this committee.
"The essentials Of the plan are: (1)
medical, surgical and specialist service
by we'll trained young doctors who are
paid for their work; (2) supervision by
the college faculty; (3) instruction Of
medical students in the clinic; ~ ap-
pointments with patients made by tele.
phone or post to avoid waste In wait
ing; (5) clinics, in addition to day
sessions, open two evenings a week for
the convenience Of patients employed
during the day; (6) charge Of 81 for
each call, laboratory examinations and
X-ray plates at cost. complete dag
nostic examination Tor patients re-
ierred BY physicians for an inclusive
fec Of $40. On the day the clinic
opened TOO persons presented them
selves. There has been a steadily
growing patronage ever since An in
cre"sing number Of doctors have
brought patients for diagnosis and con
Sllltatiun.'
Retreat Of Yellow Fever.
The report cites the retreat nf vel
/ low ,ever in those sectors where it has
cen an eNei present Unrest for at
least two centuries The supreme sac.
rif1f'e made in this '.attle against vel
low fever by Dr.. .Iesse Lazear and T,r.
Howard p. Cross is noted. The stub
bora fight against malaria. hOolworm
and tuberculosis is reviewed and the
i.l,t made by DR.. Henry Hansen Il,
South America aCH,i;st yellot fever
Girst diagnosed as acute ma!Hria) is
set forth, telling in some teGail of
Doctor Hans"n's conscription Of fi:sl, IN
the va" upon the mosquito carrier
"The result was finally accom-
rishcd." vends the report, "hy enlist
lag two local species of fish to Gey our
she eggs nnd the larvae of the mos.
quito. An attempt in the beginning of
She can'pHisn to teach the people to
''rere"t breeding on their own premises
'";!ea. Fverything had to he done by
~" mosquito squad. 1t was found
that hy distributing fish--two to four
small fish ~ Il rontaner holding ten
tO fifteen gai'a.:S-the problem vas
sin.p,:fi"l by about - per cent. The
7aONM fish distributed in this drive
conquered the epi'icinic