Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-09-08

fore, the physician to the county nome
and prisoners in the county and city
JAIL also we treat certain cases on
order of the welfare department.
Four Divisions of Work
Back to our main function of pre-
vention and protection, this is accom-
pllshed Through four general divi-
sions of work, isolation, sanitation,
vaccination and examination.
Isolation, is not much used these
days, as we have very few contagious
diseases to isolate or to quarantine.
Vaccination includes all innocula-
tions of serum for prevention of di-
seases as typhoid fever, diphtheria
and smallpox. These are given free
by the health department in the Of
flee, by the health officer or public
health nurse. School children are vac
cinated also in schools where parents
request it.
Sanitation was our first form of
public health work and is yet one of
the most important functions of a
health department. With sanitation
we fight typhoid and typhus fevers,
dysentery and various forms of In
testinal diseases. The health depart
ment will supervise the location and
construction of sanitary toilets, labor
free to those not in city sewerage dis
trict, furnish plans and supervise in
Stallation of septic tanks. plan for
you how to make your well or spring
a safe drinking water. The health
department by inspection of cafes, ho-
tells, meat markets and milk plants
try to protect public health by re-
quiring certain standards of cleanli-
ness and protection of food from flies
or other communications.
Other features of the sanitary di-
vision are inspection of school houses,
oiling for mosquitoes, examining of
drinking water and swimming pools
and correction of many minor insan-
ltary conditions around town.
Work In Schools
Under examination comes the large
part of our work in schools This is
where we hope to do lots of good work
by finding defects in children and hav-
ing them corrected before permanent
injury is done to the health of the
child. Examination of individuals for
contagious diseases and tuberculosis
and venereal diseases including treat
ment of venereal diseases. Examina-
ton of domestics for protection
against infections disease, we have
examined nearly 300 of these domestic
servants in the last 80 days.
Since October, 1886, the Vance coun-
ty Health Department has added sew
eral new departments of public health.
Maternal and infant welfare, work,
work begins with supervision and in
struction CT midwives, and the pre-
natal clinic where pregnant mothers,
not able to have a doctor, are given
medical examinations and advice.
Underprivileged and Crippies
The well-baby clinic for the under
privileged babies where mothers are
instructed as to care and formulas
worked out for feeding undernourished
babies and last the clinic for crippIes.
These clinics are all held once a
month, and are to help preserve and
build up the health of our people who
are financially unable to put them
selves, or their children under a doc
tors care
10 carry on this work requires much
visiting and travelling on the part of
the public health nurses. This sketch
has only touched on some of the major
duties of a Health Department. The
many consultations and talks; private
and public by the members of the
Health Department are given, as an
educational feature and after all edu-
catlon OF the public to become Health
minded is our most sublime duty.