Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-08-29
Maine Health Assn
Opens Its Institute
Sessions at Bangor

Especial to the Kennebec JournaD
Bangor, Aug. oS.-Health workers,
including many nurses, dentists,
physicians, club women, manu-
facturers, officers and members of
local health societies and committees
gathered here today to attend the
session of the 1928 Health Institute
and annual meeting of the Maine
Public Health Association.
The entire forenoon was given
over to personal conferences with
the local public health nurses and
Miss Edith l.. Soule the state super
vising nurse. These conferences
covered the usual professional ques-
tons which develop in a program Of
public health nursing.
The afternoon session today was
given over to Il general discussion
of public health nursing problems
in which a number of Maine men
and women and national health
workers took part.
Mrs. j. H. Huddilston of Orono,
president of the State Federation
of Women's clubs. after paying a
.lllSI .IllDdtS " llit Liiet
were being used in the fight on
tuberculosis and cancer. delivered a
strong appeal for frank discussion
of social diseases. She declared
that too many women were made
innocent victims of these diseases.
Better for those who scott at health
work to be shocked by a little plain
language than for one OF these Wo-
men to be compelled to so down into
the valley because from a sense of
prudery those who knew the danger
kept their silence and let her become
the victim of another's past. Bet
ter that they should be shocked If
necessary than to have even one
baby be subject to life of blind
ness" Mrs. Huddilston said that
the public nurses in Maine have the
hearty support of the women of this
state and declared that health work
claimed her own active support and
interest.
DR.. c. F. Moulton' of Hartland,
president of the Maine Medical AS
ISOLATION declared that the health
educational work, in other words
preventive Medicine" which the
Maine Public Health Association is
doing is of the greatest value to the
people OF Maine-"The public does
not always realize that i'll health
has a definite cause just as surely
that a diseased apple falls to the
ground and planted acorn produces
an oak and not a palm tree. The
public health nurses, the Maine Pub
lie Health Association and its local
societies and committees. the. ply
sicians and others are fighting the
causes of i'll health"
Miss Winifred Rand of Boston,
director of the Community Health
Association of that CITY, in discussing
the work of the nurse from the
standpoint of the infant welfare
worker. quoted from a recent ad-
dress by Herbert Hoover in which
he said Every child. delinquent in
body, education and character, is a
charge upon the community itself
and a menace to the community
itself. The children of strong ply
sique. of sound education and char
acter are the army with which we
must march to progress" Miss Rand
then discussed the high mortality
among infants and pointed out the
simple preventive measures that
would save thousands of these lives
annually for Maine.
DR.. b. L. Bryant OF Bangor, Secre-
tary of the Maine Medical AS
ISOLATION, spoke of the work of the
nurses in their home communities,
pointing out the many tactful ways
in which the nurse daily teaches the
simple lessons of health. Annual
health examinations, he said, would
greatly tend to increase the life of
the average individual in much the
same manner that careful attention
and regular inspection of any piece
of machinery will make the
machinery last longer.
Mrs. Sarah Rideout Abbott of
Saco, president of the State Parent
Teacher Association, outlined the
close interest and the helpful CO.
operation which the teacher
association, and especially , the
mothers are always ready to give
the public health nurses.
Other speakers during the after
noon were DR.. Frank Y. Gilbert of
Portland, president of the Cumber-
land County Public Health Associa-
ton; DR.. James McFayden Of Milo
president of the Piscataquis County
Public Health Association; Miss
Helen Dunn of Sanford and Miss
Soule.
DR.. E. D. Merrill of Dover Fox