The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-05-04
n. D. HEALTH HEADS
CLOSE ninth ANNUAL
CONFERENCE IN CITY
Typhoid Epidemic At Chamber
lain, S. D., Last Decem-
Der Is Described

Members OF the North Dakota
Health Officers association closed
their ninth annual conference here
Wednesday after hearing five ad-
dresses and discussion.
Speakers were DR.. E. A. Bostrom,
South Dakota state epidemiologist;
Miss Gena Johnson, Fargo, Cass
county public health nurse; Miss
viletta Roche, state director of vital
statistics; A. L. Bavone, state sani-
tary engineer; DR.. A. A. Whittemore,
state health officer; DR.. B. K. Kill
bourne, Fargo, newly-elected presi-
dent of the state association; and
DR.. M. M. Williams, Of the state
health department..
A discussion was led by Miss Esther
Teichmann, of Bismarck, city school
nurse.
DR.. Bostrom discussed the typhoid
epidemic which occurred at Cham
berlain, S. D., last December.
Two weeks after the state board OF
health took charge there were prac-
tically no new primary cases and the
epidemic was practically over as far
as new infection was concerned, he
declared. There were 20 deaths.
The city, he said, now has safe
water that is being constantly check
ed, a safe pasteurized milk supply.
food handlers known not to be car
riers of disease, and "the town has
had fine cleaning up and is as safe
a city in which to live as can be
found in South Dakota
300 Requests Month
Three hundred letters are received
by the state health department each
month requesting certified copies Of
birth certificates, Miss Roche said.
Most are from persons desiring to
settle estates, collect on insurance
policies, secure pensions, desiring to
leave or return to this country, or
facing deportation.
Many are from juvenile courts,
children's aid societies, states attor-
neys, and school officials Investigate
ing delinquent children.
Hundreds of such letters are re-
ceived each year from foreign coun-
tries, Miss Roche said.
North Dakota's present vital sta
tistics law was passed in 1907 and has
not been changed.
The health department receives
birth and death certificates from
$500 cooperators regularly. These
cooperators receive but small remun-
Grafton.
The work, therefore, is done in the |
spirit of public welfare and human
good" she said, land this spirit Is not
fostered by threats. demands and ar
rests, but by patience, friendly CORE
spondence and more patience"
She then explained in detail just |
how the certificates should be han
died.
Resistance Running Down
1.-The resistance Of our children is
slowly running down." Miss Johnson
told the conference. ''The conditions
Of malnutrition are becoming more
and more numerous and this brings
us to the point that we should be ever
jealous to battle with the preventive
measures that we have at our COM
mand."
Great progress has been made in
lamentations Of children, the speak
er said. But we have today Sleep |
ing giant, one that will awake in his
might and swing his lusty death-deal-
ing sword as in the days Of old in the
event that we cannot awake the
public interest in the matter as a |
condition which to them has become
little less than an old fairy tale. Il
refer to the 1mmunization for small
pox."
The number of children who need
dental attention Is surprisingly large,
she said, recommending that simple
fruits and fresh vegetables be recon-
uaended to nourish teeth and bones.
Juvenile tuberculosis and diabetes
are on the incline, she said, serving
as a warning to teachers and health
officers. She attacked certain radio
programs, "skits developed from in
nocent fairy stories to wild stories Of
hair-raising adventure, in which little
children are at the mercy of awful
brigands, thieves and robbers, and
worse, and the child Is kept at fever
pitch from day to day wondering
whether their favorites will escape
from the clutches into which they
have fallen"