Milford chronicle., 1941-08-01
State Board OF
Health Exhibit


at the Kent-Sussex Fair in Har-
rington is attracting many visit
ors on the midway this week. The
children call them doll houses"
but grown-ups realize that they are
really a series of small lighted
stages, each one depicting one of
the health services offered through
the County Health Units and the
clinics.
The subjects of the miniature
stages are: Maternal and Child
Health" Tuberculosis Diagnosis
and Care" Laboratory Testing"
milk Supervision" and Rural
Sanitation"
Fidelity to detail makes this dio-
rama exhibit, created by Delaware
WPA artists and craftsmen, espe-
cially fascinating to both young
and old. Directed by Walter Pyle,
state supervisor, and assisted by
artists Marion Bright and Brandt
Alexander, the whole display has
a life-like quality. Though the fig
ures are only from to Z inches
tall, they have been carefully
sculptured and are entirely indi-
vidual in appearance. Much of the
sculpturing was done by Miss Car
oline Smith, while Miss Regina
Henderer is responsible for the
major portion of the careful paint
ing and finish-up work of the fig
ures.
Mr.. Bright and Mr.. Alexander
planned the compositions Of the
diaramas and worked out the ef-
fective arrangements by which the
miniature stages are lit. Visits
were made to clinics and labora-
tories, pictures of medical equip
ment were studied in order that
each exhibit would seem an au-
thentic reproduction and tell a
health story.
The "set" of the Maternal and
Child Health diorama shows a
child being examined by doctor,
a nurse in attendance, while the
mother watches the procedure. Ex-
animation for mal-nutrition and for
physical and dental defects which
require correction for the best
health of the child, are an impoF-
tant part of public health work. If
defects are found, the nurses urge,
the parents to take the children to
their family physician. Where this
is not possible, other care is fire.
quently obtained. In addition to-
clinic work, nurses do home in
struction in child care, according
to the need.
A dramatic diorama is used to IL
lustrate Tuberculosis Diagnosis"
The interior is painted black to
signify a dark room, a man stands
before a microscope, the only light
is the X-ray coming through the
mans body to record his chest
condition on a lighted film for the
doctor to study.
DR.. L. d. Phillips, director of the
Brandywine Sanatorium for tuber-
culosis, stresses the fact that one
infectious case of tuberculosis at
large in a community will affect z
others who will develop the dis
ease at some later time. "TB" con-
troll in Delaware attempts to pre-
vent infection by finding cases be-
fore they have become infectious
and giving them treatment. II they
are infectious, they are isolated
until they are not in a condition to-.
spread germs in a community.
A miniature laboratory complete
with bacteria counter, incubator,
test-tubes, filing cases, and a be-
spectacled bacteriologist hard at
work, reminds visitors at the Fair
that Laboratory Testing" under
Roland Herdman and his staff is an
important free service of the State
Board of Health to Delaware citi-
zens. Specimens are submitted
through the family physician and
the reports are sent back to him,
or through the clinics, in order
that proper use may be made of
the laboratory's findings. This is
true of all diseases, but the most
common ones tested for are syphil-
is, gonbrrhea, tuberculosis, diph-
iberia, malaria, and typhoid.
OulluICu are Ou-iHB anu du-
ing" about the model dairy barn,
but Delaware dairymen looking at
the exhibit understand that the San
itary Division of the Board of
Health is advocating wiping off the
udders of cows with a chlorine So
luton before milking, in an effort
to reduce the bacteria found in
milk. The cows pick up dirt both
in the fields and the stables them
selves, says Richard Beckett, San
itary Engineer, and in the interests
of health and sanitation, it is inn
portant that this cleaning with
chlorine be made a part of the
routine of milking if we are to
have safer quality of milk.
The diorama entitled Rural San
itation" shows very vividly the COM.
trast between a properly sanitized
rural home and one where no care
has been taken and there is the
possibility of transmission of DIS.
ease by flies. Three thousand and