San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-29
Cooperation by Cities and
Counties Is Essential
Says Doctor.
SPEAKS FROM PULPIT
President-elect Of State As
ISOLATION Urges Proven
ton of Disease.

one bad case of typhoid would eff.
fleet the prevention of hundreds OF
similar cases. according to DR.. NJ. F,
Bledsoe of Port Arthur. presidert.
elect of the Texas State Medical As
ISOLATION, in an address to the con-
gregation of the Madison Square
Presbyterian church. Money spent
for the prevention of disease is more
economically spent than in curing dis
| ease. he said. Next to godliness, he
believes. is cleanliness.
The work of the State Board of
Health in combating disease was out
lined BY DIR. Bledsoe in the address
| which follows in part:
"The state of Texas endeavors
through its board of health to furnish
| professional men and the laity with
literature on the cause and proven
ton of communicable diseases, writ
ten in plain language so that anyone
can understand it. If an epidemic
occurs in any community the state
may send an expert to investigate
conditions and discover the cause of
this disease, and, then dispense with
it, or recommend means to prevent
the spreading of these epidemics.
The state has on hand reports on
all epidemics of communicable dis
eases that are collected and tabulated
by counties so that they are prepared
at any time TO furnish information
to persons who are interested. The
state is always willing through its
board of health to assist in the pre-
vention of the spread of epidemics.
The board of health keeps accurate
records of births and deaths as these
are the two most important incidents
in the life of everyone, so that the
identity of citizens may be establish
ed at any time, and the cause OF
death put on record.
Mothers Are Given Advice.
"The Board of Health provides for
chemical and meteorological examina-
ton and inspection of public water
supply. The water supply furnished
by railroads for their passengers for
drinking is inspected at regular in
tervals. The State Board of Health
| has laboratories in which specimens
are examined for tuberculosis, ty-
phoid, diphtheria. malaria and other
communicable disease. All articles
of food or drink are examined to
establish their fitness or unfitness
| for human consumption.
The Board Of Health requires that
all employees Of hotels, cafes, bakeries,
meat markets, or food stores be ex-
amined, and they are required to
have certificates of health counter
signed by city or county health Off
GERS. There are number of state
inspectors who visit these public
places and whose duty it is to report
the sanitary or unsanitary conditions.
efforts are being made to reduce
mortality among infants to a mini
mum, and to eliminate the death of
mothers as far as possible. Child
welfare leagues are established and
nurses are stationed in every town
where it is possible. The nurses are
well trained and efficient women who
are paid by the State Board of Health
TO give advice to mothers in regard
to the proper care OF infants. Lee
lures and moving pictures on health
questions are sent without charge
wherever they are desired, whenever
it is possible. In fact. the Board Of
Health is using every possible means
W ltVpit dtoihst NAo
ease and to insure through education.
better health, greater happiness and
prosperity.
Better Babies Are Needed.
with the proper cooperation OF
the people the department of health
is by far the most important of the
state or of any municipal govern
ment. This will seem to be very
80
have taken the trouble to investigate
for your own satisfaction or reason
it out for yourself. When you stop
to think about the loss of human life
or the loss of a member of society by
death, and compare it with the loss of
say, a house by fire, a COW by some
foot or mouth disease, or the loss of
! n bale of cotton by ravages of in
| serts, you realize that there is no
comparison. Do you know that the
/ state and governmental authorities are
expanding more money that we may
have larger cotton crops or that our
cattle may be fatter, than they are
spending for the cause of more and
better babies and fewer deaths by
preventable diseases and pestilences
"The condition is truly lamentable
when one stops to think about it
The United States government plan.
ned to match dollar for dollar with
the states for all the money they
raised for the preservation Of health
| just as was done for the construction
Of good roads and schools. Yet some
| people objected to the plan for rea.
sons that meant absolutely nothing
but great deal of cumbersome false
pride, or just plain narrow-minded
ness. What say is this: IL the
United States government is COINS
to match dollars with the states fol
better roads. why not match dollars
for better babies?
He Mentions Canal Zone.
when man commits murder, b.
he sane or insane, measures are i'm
mediately instituted To remove that
, vicious person from society. Million,
of dollars are spent every year fol
police and detective departments t.
trace murderers and lawbreakers. bu
the comparative amount spent to trace
down pestilences and health breakers
is pitifully small. That is what tn
State Board Of Health and the lega
medical practitioners are trying t.
do: remove from society for the pro
lection Of the life and health of GU
people, the elements and factors tina
tend to cause sickness. 1t can b
done, has been done, and is beini
done.
$50 that you may better realiz