Evening star., 1923-12-16
Radio Aided Health Service in
Touch With Other Nations

-
in India. the Malay islands or Turkey,
or typhus breaks out in easterrs Eu-
rope or in a war-stricken area, q
public health officer attached to the
American consulate nearest the
stricken territory gets busy, and all
suspects who are proceeding to the,
United States are examined and the
vessels fumugated.
If necessary, immigrants are de-
| tanned at the port Of ernbarkation so
| that period OF fourteen days may
intervene between their departure
from the infected area and their ar
rival at a United States port. Or If
yellow fever breaks put in Mexico or
South America, public health has
| news of il almost as soon as a case
is diagnosed.
The marine hospital service, estab-
lished in 1898. Just nine years after
the Treasury Department, for: the
benefit of sick and disabled, seamen
Of the American merchant marine
would hardly recognize its Offspring.
the United States public health .serv-
ice, whose activities reach around the
globe as well as to thessmailest ham
lSt IN Inc L nlleQ states. s..
The fund for the support o. that
first service was obtained by imposing
a tax of 20 cents month, on seamen
employed on American VESSELS err
gagged in foreign and coasting trade
This levy Of 20 cents was collected
by the collectors of customs, and in
this way the public health service
came under the Jurisdiction OF the
Treasury Department. This taxing O
the seamen's pay was perhaps III
first personal income tax imposed ii
America
DUBLIC health still has charge -
marine hospitals, and from 1919
to August 9. 1921. had the care ana
treatment of ex-service men and
women OF tho world war. During
that time over 2T5,oo0 were treated
and given more than 14,500,000 relief
days. Approximately 100000 out
patient treatments were given and
100000 physical examinations made.
Whether one travels by land or by
water in the United States, he is pro-
tected by the public health service.
as sanitation of vessels and trains Of
| interstate common carriers, including
| the examination of drinking water
used on trains and vessels and the
control Of travel of diseased persons.
| is the work of the service. IT Is esti-
mated that between 4500.000 and
| 5000 600 people travel annually o.
great lakes and ST. Lawrence riveI
passenger vessels calling at America
ports.
In 1922 the examination by publ.
health officers of a group Of 10000
school children showed that $1,000 o.
them were found to have incapacitating
physical defects.
The live slogan eff the public
health service is not Swat the fly.
but "Rout the rat" For the flscs
year 1922 there were 64,343 rodents
! trapped, classified and examined BY
the service. So intensive has been
the work Of deratization on board
ships and around wharves and docks
| that neither human nor rodent plague
was discovered for one year.
Investigations into occupation.
/ health hazards in industrial plants,
| studies of occupational diseases and
causes of industrial absenteeism are 4
| part of the work of the industrial hs
giene and sanitation office of public
| health.
During the latter part OF 1922, a.
the request of the Post Ofice Depart
ment. approximately 1000 employees
| were examined in the New York and
Chicago general post offices for the
purpose OF determining the physica
fitness of the employees, the numbeT
being equally divided among the two
post offices.
DR.. Cumming called attention %
one of the last executive orders
signed by President Harding before
starting on the fateful journey which
was to be his last. This order was
relative to promoting health and eff
cheney and minimizing accidents
among federal employees, by which
10000 or 100000 employees would h"
benefited.