Evening star., 1926-05-18
URGES COMBINING
OF HEALTH WORK
DR.. FrankeI Declares 16
Groups Should Join in One
Big Campaign.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ATLANTIC CITY, n. j., May 49,
a plea to health workers to organize
themselves for health rather than
against specific diseases-in one: or
ganization instead of many-was
made before $500 members of 16 ma
tional volunteer health associations
here last night by DIR. Lee X. Fran
kel. chairman of the National Health
Council.
Addressing the opening session OF
the first American lIeauh -uiiSfeas
ever held, DR.. Frankel vii tually pro-
posed that it should be the last. his
speech advocating the elimination of
the val ious health organizations be-
fore him.
To eliminate duplication in organiZa
ton, in education and in drives for
funds, he proposed that health asSo-
Citations amalgamate, as the charitable
associations have done in the com
munity chest.
rs it the psychological moment to
think in terms of national health
rather than of specific Diseases" he
| asked.
Are we prepared to visualize the
eradication of tuberculosis, heart dis
ease, cancer venereal disease, child
mortality and insanity not as sepa-
/ lhie SIlllleS Out as IliEt'lIuSi iIlSiltS
which require concerted effort?"
Says Council Failed.
| The National tuberculosis Associa-
ton, American Heart Association,
American Society for the Control of
Cancer, the American Social Hygiene
Association, American Child Health
Association and the National Commit
tee for Mental Hygiene are 8 of the
16 national health associations repre-
sented in the health council, as are
various public health and nursing or
| CARNATIONS.
The health council had failed in its
| purpose. according to DR.. Frankel.
In view of the fact that the au-
tonomy of each society had to be pre-
served, it frequently placed the coun-
Gil in a delicate situation. and no con-
Sut' s5rustIvs be zaig' Pgosran/ could be carried
DR.. Frankel pointed out that city.
State and Federal health departments
have already carried out the co-ordina-
ton of all health activities as he now
proposes that the volunteer health
association should do.
Urges Preventive Medicine.
II am convinced that united
| organization could revolutionize
health work in the United States. Not
the least of it's activities would be the
education of 11O,000,000 people in pre-,
ventive medicine and personal
hygiene.
| There can be no doubt that the
sale of Christmas seals, (now applied
to tuberculosis) could be immeasur-
ably increased if the income could be
applied for general health purposes. 3"
DR.. Frankel, who as head of the
welfare work of the Metropolitan Life
| Insurance Co. comes in contact with
all the phases of health work repre-
sented by the 16 organizations of the
+, congress, offered four alternatives for
| the organization of such consoli-
| dated health association:
First it might be formed by en-
larging the scope of the American
Red Cross; second, by using the
council as nucleus; third, by MAX
| ing a complete health association of
the existing National tuberculosis AS
sociation; finally. by creating an
entirely new organization.
Prohibition Is Praised.
| Prohibition is Americas s latest CON
tribution to public health Sir Arthur
Newsholme, former principal medical
| officer of the local government board
| in England, told the delegates.
| 1.-The enforcement Of compulsory
abstinence from drinks which in the
past have been provocative of disease,
crime, vice. and destitution has inter
esting inverted analogies with the
| eighteenth century successful preven-
| ton of scurvy at sea by compulsory
administration Of a beverage" the
! speaker said.
! In referring to the utility of public
health administration in America, he
said that it's experience and available
knowledge prove there now is a pos
sibility in every country of removing
at least one-half of the present sick
ness and premature mortality.