, 1935-01-10
HEALTH UNIT


Continued Prom Page One)
member is in favor Of the re-es-
Enlistment Of the health unit.
z. Cameron county has the worst
malaria record Of any county in
Texas.
Q. IN the event the unit Is re-
established. neither the Texas State
Board OF Health MOI the Cameron
county commissioners court will
allow the personnel Of the unit
TO indulge in the practice Of cura-
tive medicine as was done in the
past health unit set-up.
| Personnel Of the proposed health
unit as the set-up has been ap-
proved by the Texas State Board
Of Health and the u. 5. Bureau Of
Public Health was outlined by Or.
w. G. Peterson Of the state beard
as follows: one director. annual
salary $500: one scientific assist
ant. salary $1,000; three nurses.
combined annual salaries S4i40:
two sanitarians. combined annual
salaries $500; one special scien-
tific assistant, 81 800; one clerk,
$500: annual travel allowances for
z persons. $4,000: contingent fund.
S675. total S20.740, OF which amount
the government would pay $1,000.
making the annual cost to the
county SIS, TAO.
@. G. Weikel. commissioner OF
the Port Isabel precinct. objected
to the present cost Of health work
in the county would be added to
the $4,000 cost Of the health unit.
nearly doubling the cost to the
county II the health unit Is esta-
blished.
Maj. O'Brien. county auditor.
expressed the opinion that the cost
would not exceed $1,000 over the
present rate of expenditures.
Sam Bell, commissioner from
Brownsville, and Scott Brown OF
San Bento both expressed the
opinion that the county, even
under the health unit set-up. would
be forced to continue the present
care OF INDECENT sick and that ad-
ditional physicians would have 70
be hired by the county other than
those provided for In the health
unit set-up.
II. G. Weinert. Brownsville drug
gist. asked the court II the coun-
ty intended TO hire these addi-
tional physicians and continue
its present care Of the sick. ledge
Oscar G. Dancy assured him that
such was his intention and he
believed the intention Of every
member Of the commissioners
court.
Later in the discussion Weinert
asked what budget the county IN
tended to adopt for this purpose
and Dancy answered that that was
what the court was trying 70 de-
termine In connection with us
discussion Of the healthy unit. and
that a decision probably could not
be reached for several days.
Speaking on behalf Of the Came
ron County Parent Teacher aSSo-
citation, Mrs. Personet OF the FL
Jardin community told the court
that every single member OF the
association demanded that 2
health unit be reestablished. the
doctors OF Brownsville may rest
assured that the FL Jardin COM
munity in its work among the
sick IS lot giving medicine or med
ical care to anybody who q pay
for It," she said.
DR.. s. X. Hallam OF Brownsville
addressed the court, stating that
in his opinion the malaria condi-
ton in the county demanded 2
re-establishment OF the health
unit.
II heard a representative OF the
United States Public Health Bu-
reau speak the other day II ne
told is that If something were not
done our lands and our invest
ments would not be worth anything
II we did not curb this malaria
menace" DR.. Hallam said.
Commenting on DR.. Hallsm's re-
marks. Judge Dancy stated that
according to estimates furnished
bv DR.. Google OF the public health
service. malaria had cost the citi-
zenship Of Cameron county more
than S250.000 during 1884 alone.
Doctors 9. w. EdEerton Of Har-
lingen. G. NJ. Cash OF San Benito
and r. r. Breeder Of Brownsville.
representing the Cameron County
Medical Association, entered the
plea that some order be evolved
out Of the chaotic state Of relief
medical attention.
The representatives declared that
the association Is 10 meet January
II. and expected TO be able to pre-
sent a definite charity program 70
the court after that date. The doc
tors declared they we're not opposed
to the proposed unit. but insisted
that changes In medical attention TO
charity be made.
DR.. r. II. Eisaman Of Brownsville
appeared before the court and OPP
nospd re-establiShment Of the unit.