San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-30

sane, 50 the insane or predetermined
epilcptic is simply "eut OF luck, ac-
cortling TO DIR, Lincecum.
We become frantic ii rat rerorc-
cd To have bubonic plague is seen in
our midst. yet we look on with seem
ing indifference while children spread
communicable Diseases" DIR. Lince-
cum said. Texas has 1,204,2T0 chill
dren of a scholastic age; wonder
if the lawmakers and voters of Texas
are giving these children a square
dealt'
DIR. Lincecum stated that in 1923.
SS31 deaths from communicable dis
eases were reported to the bureau of
vital statistics in Austin. In order TO
control the rapid spread of disease,
and in order to obtain a better grasp
on the health situation in Texas. DR..
Lincecum urged that the laws be re-
pcaled or revised. regarding public
health. and that bill built on the
foundation of common sense and
scientific knowledge of the situation
be inserted in place of the primitive
and useless statutes in existence to-
day"
Provides for Nine Members.
The bill proposed by DIR. Lincecum
would have Il board of nine members
appointed, terms of office TO be six
years. one-third having their terms ok
pire every two years. This board
would be nominated by board of
councillors and appointed by the gov
crnor. A state health officer would
be appointed from this board, whose
terms of office should last only as long
as his services were found to efficient.
The state board would be removed
from politics and properly financed.
with coordination measures planned
by city, county and the state board in
unison.
That the present care of inmates
in prison hospitals may not be as sani-
tary as. it should be, because of lack
of funds. was also mentioned by DIR.
Lincecum as a condition that requires
remedy at an early date, That the
fiscal expenditure for the care of
patients in eleemOsynary institutions
in Texas is also insufficient was cited
by Dr.. Lincecum. who said that tor
1923 the appropriation was ST.
OS0 for 1,16J patients, which would
make the average per capita cost
S262.36 for the year. This sum. DIR.
Lincecum declared. would not properly
care for n well person, not To mention
people who are crippled. sick and in
sane: 81 being tubercular.
Following the chairman's address,
DR.. Malone Duggan talked or Go
ordination of Health Work." declar-
ing that duplication of effort is the
greatest evil the state department
faces, and giving efficient county
health boards as the solution for thr
problem.
DR.. Robert Steel. a member of the
state health board, made talk on
The Importance of Reporting Com
municable Diseases" citing as an ex.
ample the case of San Antonio in The
sumr>rr of 1911. when. from nearly
$4,000 cases of typhoid fever, vaccine
and preventative measures caused
only two cases of the disease 20 rc-oc-
eur. DIR. Steel urged every citizen to
assist in reporting diseases. as he de-
clared that the mortality rate in Texas
would be enormously cut il people
would realize the importance of pre-
venting the spread OF Communicable dis
ease.
Several Other Addresses.
DIR. c. T.. Durham of Austin dis |
cussed "Venereal Disease and Its Con-
troll, and gave some startling figures
showing the urgent need for correction
of this evil.
state Laws Pertaining TO Mupici-
pal Sanitation" were discussed by V. |
NJ. Ehlers, of Austin. who said that |
the present municipal water supply |
laws all need revision, as they do not |
protect the people from unsanitary
water.
"Some Of the OBSTACLES Retarding |
the Progress of Maternity and Infancy |
Work in Texas" were discussed by |
DIR. II. Garst of Austin. who said |
that preventable mortality among |
mothers and infants is due largely TO
lax laws regulating maternity homes |
and baby farms, not including mater
nifty hospitals, and he suggested that |
these laws be made more stringent. so
that the personnel of these places
could be regulated with more severity. |
"The Relation of the City Health
to the State Health De
nartmpnt and Suggestions of Needed