Evening star., 1923-05-17
MEETING DISCUSSES
/ HEALTH SUBJECTS
Topic Considered From Many
Angles by Social Work.
ers' Conference.

Tho largest Of the group meetings
held this morning by the National
Conference of Social Work was at the
New York Avenue Presbyterian
Church, where the topic, Health
Demonstrations" was discussed In
many phases by prominent social
workers and business men. DR..
Charles ]. Hatfield. executive director
of Phipps Institute. Philadelphia
presided and the addresses were de-
livered by the following:
DIR. Lee K. FrankeI, third vice presi-
dent. Metropolitan Life Insurance
Company: DIR. Donald B. Armstrong.
executive offiesr ell National nI Ma,1ee neaifh
Brown. Mansfield Child Health Dem
onstration. Mansfield. Ohio: Kenneth
n. Widdemer. executive officer. East
Harlem Health Center. New YORK;
John c. Gebhart. director Depart
Courtney Dinwiddie, executive direc-
tor, American Child Health Associa-
tion, and John A. Kingsbury. secre-
tary. Milbank Memorial Fund. New
York.
Outlines System.
DR. Frankel declared private initia-
tive and funds are usually necessary
to demonstrate the practical useful
ness of scientific discoveries which
contribute to the prevention OF dis,
ease before they are widely applied
to the community In general.
DIR. Brown outlined to the meeting
the organization and progress OF the
child health demonstration In Mans
field. Ohio, which was to show what
a typical rural county containing a
small industrial city can do by or
ganized effort and teamwork of pub
lie authorities and private agencies
TO assure all of the children in the
county an equal opportunity for
health. The demonstration is under
the joint auspices of the National
Child Health Council and the citizens
of Richland county and is to continue
for five years. The cost Is betrayed
by the American Red Cross: The
goal of the demonstration" he said.
gram which will be economically
practical for the community. rather
than to conduct an intensive labora-
tory experiment"
Saves Many Babies.
"A local community will enter the
health game with enthusiasm under
the leadership of real district health
center" said Mr.. Widdemer.
The East Harlem Health Center,
In which twenty-five health and kim
derd agencies are cooperating. is a
national demonstration conducted in
Ine upper east size OF Ne" forR CITY.
The aims of the health center are to
demonstrate that more and better
health service may be obtained in
any district of a large city. when or
eanizations get together. and work
together. for the common welfare"
How the death rate Of babies and
small children has been diminished
during the past five years by the
work of the Mulberry Health Center
OF the New York Association for I'm
=, "a 1< h. t.
a crowded East Side district, was de-
scribed by Mr.. Gebhart.
Infant Death Rate High.
Its efforts to have been confined
chiefly to the prenatal and preschool
field" said Mr.. Gebhart. The Prem
atal service combines instruction Of
the expectant mother with the care
full observation of her condition and
the reporting of unusual and alarm
Ing symptoms to the doctor in the
prenatal clinic. The number of
mothers reached through this service
now fully half of all the births in
this district are annually Influenced
by this service"
The infant death rate In the United
States, even with the gains made in re-
cent years is higher than that Of five
other Leading nations and the death rate
of mothers from childbirth is higher
than that of fifteen other civilized coun-
tries, Mr.. Dinwiddle said in his address.
Will War on Tuberculosis.
There is an inexcusable prevalence
of defects and lack of robust physical
development among our children Of vari-
GUS ages" he added. THE common
wealth fund child health demonstration
program is based upon fairly simple
creed. No mother should die or be in
jured in childbirth because of lack Of
knowledge on her part of proper nedi-
cal and nursing attention. Every baby
should be born under circumstances that
insure a healthful and vigorous start in
life SO far as possible"
Mr.. Kingsbury, representing the Mil
bank Memorial Fund of New York,
which is to spend a substantial part of
it's annual income for the next five or
ten years in the field of public health
with initial emphasis on the control Of
tuberculosis, outlined the foundations
nlans for health and fnharculoSis dam.