Henderson daily dispatch., 1939-01-20
DR.. Gregg Reviews Work
With Health Department
No Epidemics Occurred During 1888; Much
Emphasis Placed on Syphilis Campaign; School
Programs Took Much Time During Past Year

have so little typhoid fever, the pub
lie is losing interest in the protection
and, we must depend more and more
on sanitation.
In carrying out the program of the
u. S. Public Health Service, and the
State Health Department we have
put much emphasis and work on the
cure and prevention of syphilis. The
State Health Department made a sp--
cial allotment of over $1,000 to Vance
county to be used in equipping our
clinics and buying drugs and sup
plies for this special program, We
now have three clinics week in
Henderson, treating an average Of
SO patients a week. None of these
patients can afford to pay for treat
ment and many of them are sent to
us by private physicians. We have
made 1850 blood Wasscrnann tests
and gave 301 patients total of 81
866 treatments. More than half of
these tro" 70 cooks and nurses
of Henderson. The most difficult fea-
ture is to keep the patients return
ing long enough to make treatment
effective. Our nurses made 496 visits
to delinquent patients to keep them
coming back to the clinic
School work last spring: We mad.
an. examination of $40 children who
were to enter school last fall. All of
these children are immunized against
Smallpox and diphthcria, and the par
cnts notified of any defects which
may hinder their progress in school
A total of 1857 children were ex-
amined by the health officer and A.
344 inspected by nurses. All high
school students in Henderson hien
school were examined as to their
physical fitness for athletic exercises.
The health officer gave a total oe
So lectures and talks to schools AMI
parent-teacher associations to a total
audience of $3.50 people. 6G6 childrer,
had defects corrected. These were Of
eyes teeth and tonsils.
Prevention of tuberculosis: We hav,
inadequate facilities in the county to
cure or arrest tuberculosis. So our
greatest good can bc done by proven
tion, and early diagnosis. Last Jan
uary, we secured from the State
Sanatorium Dr. Denholm, who rave
skin tests and chest examinations to
0'OOO
number were teachers, finding 435
positive reactors, these 435 were later
X-rayed by technicians sent from the
State Sanitorium. These examina-
tions disclosed eight cases of in
cipient or potential cases of tuber-
culosis. In June we carried out the
same procedure on all adults known
to- have lived with or had been in
intimate contact with tuberculosis.
Several new cases were thus caught
in time to secure treatment Before, too
late. To combat this disease, there
ere two outstanding needs, more beds
IN the county sanatoriu:n, a ward for
children and legal authority to isolate
open cases who arc C. ...lc:.,ace to pub
lie health.
Our nurses, through the maternal
and infant welfare clinics have pro-
vided medical care to 50 cxpectant
mothers. 155 children VINO were un-
able to secure doctors service. We.
however, do not give actual delivery
service. This is done by II registered
rnidwives. These nlidwivcs are re-
gularly instructed and supervised by
the health department
Ito Cripple cnlldren were given eK-
anlinations by DR.. w. f. Cole, or
thopedic surgeon from Greensboro
The children were given hospital
treatment, artificial limbs braces, op.
er2tions. messages and exercises, ac-
rordin~ to their individual needs. A
few We're of such nature that moth
ing could be done for them.
Our sanitary department, under su.
rcrvision of the sanitary inspector,
the WPA sanitary project has built
448 sanitary privies, 81 residential
septic tanks were installed, which
means that sol new families have
sanitated homes and many private
water supplies improved.
The malarial control program with
WPA labor cut approximately 60,O01
feet of ditching and cleared Is; acres
OF adjacent swamp land. The doctors