The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1932-04-14
VALUE OF HOME HYGIENE
CLASSES TOLD BY CLARKE
Health Officer Makes Address
Before Meeting of National Red
Cross Association
NINE CLASSES IN COUNTY

"The value of home hygiene classes
in Rural Communities" was the sub
ject of an address by DR.. George E..
Clarke, health officer, which was de.
1ivered before the meeting of the Ma
tional Red Cross convention in Wash.
ington, D. c., on Monday, Tuesday
and Wednesday of this week. The
talk was presented on Monday after.
noon.
Mrs. J. F. Fahey and Miss Helen
Treacy, county nurses, also attended
the sessions. The American Red Cross
sponsors the home hygiene classes
such as are being conducted in the
county under the auspices of the coun-
ty health department in nine COM
munities, Grantsville, Friendsville,
Oakland, Crellin, Deer Park, Vindex,
Kitzmiller, Loeb Lynn, and Sunny
side.
His address follows:
The problem of rural health admin
istration is by no means new. 1t was
recognized in the early history of the
United States. Probably the first or
ganized effort to control communica-
BILE disease was early in the fifteenth
century when certain seaports of
Europe were quarantined to prevent
the entrance of typhus fever and
plague. Early in the history of the
United States the larger cities such
as Boston, Philadelphia and New York
established Boards of Health to pre-
vent the spread of smallpox, yellow
fever, typhus fever, etc. Their prob
lem was merely to prevent its spread.
AS the science of medicine progressed
and we learned the cause of disease
the departments took on the added
duty of preventing their occurrence.
Today we, as health officials, realize
that we must go even farther and edu-
cate the people in health measures.
We realize that community health is
an individual problem and that each
and every individual must be taught
to wage an offensive war on mans
age-long enemies-dirt, disease, and
ignorance. The duties of county
health unit are to control communl-
cable disease, prevention of tubercu-
losis, maternal and infant hygiene,
school service, V. D. control, santa
ton, milk and food inspection and
education.
In years gone by health practice
was SO colored by tradition, by super
stition, and half truths that it was
partly scientific practice and partly
guess work. Infected materials were
burned and the ashes thrown to the
winds to blow the infection away
Our attempt now is to educate the
people to have as little infected ma
terial as possible. How better can
this education program be carried out
than by organizing small groups OF
women in the several communities
over a county and outlining to them
the essentials of home hygiene, per-
sonal hygiene and the care Of the
sick?
Garrett county, Maryland, has a
population of 10000, almost entirely
rural. The largest town in the county
is Oakland with population of 1900
with numerous other smaller villages
throughout the county. The county
has an area of 668 square miles. For
this large area we have two nurses to
carry on our work. In spite of this
have considered Home Hygiene clas-
ses of such Importance that one nurse
devotes her afternoons end evenings
to nine classes over the county. In
most classes we were able to interest
the class of women who otherwise
would get no such training. The nine
GLASSES have total enrolment of lac
active members.
1t is an invaluable aid not only tc
the nurses but to the health officer tc
have one or more individuals in com.
munity who has had some training OIL
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