The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-02-10
ALLEN Sees PROFIT
IN WORK. PERFORMED
BY HEALTH SERVICE
Tells Social Workers Huge An
nual Loss Caused by Sick
ness and Disease

From the standpoint of value re-
ceived for every dollar spent, public
health work pays, DR.. Robert w.
Allen, head of the bureau of COM
municable disease for the state health
department., told members of the
North Dakota State Conference for
Socia! Workers in session here Mon
day.
While the main purpose OF the
public health program is to make pos
sible a frcer and happier life, DR.. Al
len showed why 1t would pay the To-
cal, state and federal government to
double or treble their appropriations
for this service.
To prove this statement, DR.. Allen
set forth facts concerning the control
and determination of various diseases
and their relation to the earning ca
pacity of the worker. Surveys indi-
cate the average w~age-ear1er loses
from Z to 10 days each year because
Ut illness. Added to this are that
class which are incapacitated for or
binary pursuits, making an economic
loss running into hundreds Of mil
lions of dollars annually.
Among achievements of the public
health service DR.. Allen listed the
prevention Of small pox; yellow few
er; malaria, bubonic plague, typhoid
fever and hookworm disease, as well
IS the lowering of the death rate due
to d%iphtheria and the reduction of in
FAINT mortality. He believes that many
other diseases, not yet under control,
may be greatly reduced If necessary
funds are provided.
Worker Is Handicapped
The public health worker is handi-
capped because few laws have been
enacted requiring compulsory pro-
lection of the individual, DR.. Allen
said.
Methods Of immunization which
would completely eliminate diphtheria
end typhoid, if they were universally
applied, are now available" he point
ed out, yet no states require i'm
m%unization against these two dread
diseases
Chief among the difficulties In pre-
venting and controlling communica-
BILE diseases are: The presence In
every community of ~unreecognized
disease carriers; the large number Of,
mild cases not reported; the rapid
spread of communicable diseases be-
fore symptoms have developed, and
the fact that public health laws do
not keep pace with scientific research
in disease control.
For more efficient work DR.. Allen
recommended the creation of a staff
agency representing all health or
CARNATIONS, looking toward the es-
tablishmenC of federal department
Of welfare.
Tells of Government Work
According to DR.. Allen, present
functions of the U. S. public health
service include the protection Of the
United States from the introduction
of disease from without; the preven-
ton of interstate spread of disease;
suppression of epidemics; the CO.
operation with state and local boards
of health: investigation Of diseases:
and supervision of health Information
and public health education.
establishments for research, inves.
tigation, and the manufacture Of
serums. toxins and similar product:
used in combating disease were
enumerated by the speaker. To keer
state and local authorities, quaran.
tine officers and other persons In
formed regarding the prevalence O
disease, the public health service Is
sues weekly reports. Bulletins art
prepared and distributed for all IN
terested in disease prevention.
Disease costs the nation vast sum!
of money" said DR.. Allen in closing,
vet preventative measures will def
nitely and promptly reduce both tn
amount of sickness and the numbel
Of deaths. ut is obvious then, tina
the relation between disease and SO
cial and economic conditions is reel
procal, each influencing the other."