The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-02-05

have plenty TO do.
With movements Of large masses
Of population, we must expect at
least to be prepared for epidemics
of infectious diseases, and if they
come they are likely to strain the
resources of our civilian hospitals
and civil medical profession. The
medical departments of the Civil
ian Defense Committees will GER
tainly have to assume the role Of
direction Of all activities in such
circumstances. In the, | hope re.
mote, event of air raids they will
assume even more rigid authority.
Such emergencies aside, what
are the medical departments of
civilian defense to do? feel they
have a great opportunity in that
they can take advantage of the
general spirit Of community alert
ness and willingness to cooperate
that such an emergency as this
engenders, to carry out health
measures on the population that
cannot readily be enforced in peace
time. These measures are not ex-
periments. They are tried and
true. They are not theoretical and
they are guaranteed to improve
the health of America and Canada
for years to come.
Lack of Enforcement
Why, you will ask, have they not
already been enforced? They have
to a certain extent, but universal
enforcement falls by the wayside
in ordinary times because Of in
difference, carelessness and lack
of common spirit Of cooperation.
One such thing is the enforce
ment Of universal smallpox vac
cination. Nobody knows how large
an unvaccinated population We
have. The Health Boards try TO
enforce it with Indifferent success.
Every once in a while when small
poI breaks out in a certain COM
munity, we are shocked to find
that a large proportion of the
population IS unprotected.
Here is something that : tried
and true. There is no real opposi-
ton TO IL except among a micro
scopic lunatic fringe. The Army
certainly believes in it. If you IN
dertake TO visit a foreign country
our good South American neigh
bors for instance-you find that
the steamer companies and the
health officers Of the foreign coun-
tries believe in it.
The reason for neglect Of uni
versal enforcement in our civil
population is carelessness and in
difference almost entirely. Here
is an opportunity to utilize the
splendid surge Of awakened con-
seriousness TO community obliga-
ton to rid our country Of the dan
gers Of smallpox for another
generation.
The sane applies to universal
typhoid incubation. The health
boards watch the water but nobody
can tell IN a military emergency
when that supervision may have
to break down. In visiting the site
Of a large defense production plant
recently l found that there had
been several cases of typhoid fever
reported and that the purity of
the water supply was giving con-
Germ. The only sure way of uni
versal protection for life is by
individual incubation.
Again here is a great opportu-
nifty for tuberculosis case findings
to weed out all the suspected
cases Of tuberculosis in the com
munity and segregate the carriers.
Fifty years ago tuberculosis and
typhoid were the biggest killers.
A hundred and fifty years ago
smallpox, typhoid and tubercu-
losis were the biggest killers. In
that short time in mans history
we have learned how 10 control
them. Let US apply the controls
universally. Wouldn't it be a won
derful thing if we could wipe out
those enemies for the next few
generations?