The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-03-18
Nutrition
And Labor
HYGIENE AND NUTRITION

A Il w ASA ASAN
Scientific discoveries in the field of
sanitation and welfare can only be eff
ctive if they are accepted by the
people and by their governments. Ac-
tually in a democracy it is important
that they be accepted and appreciated
by the people, because when that hap
pens their governments must follow
suit. From that point of view it is
interesting to observe that the discovery
of bacteria and the principle of con-
tagion and infection had a rather
speedy and amazing reception. Often
scientific discoveries will ride along
for many years without peoples taking
advantage of them. This is still true
Of most countries of the world, which
means that it is also true of most
people in their own intimate conduct.
But with the discovery of bacteria ard
of their role in health and disease it
was indeed wonderful how the entire
population of many sections of Europe
and other sections of the world picked
up the knowledge and applied it in
telligently in private and public mat
terS.
In homes, in social contact, at the
table, in the kitchen, in public eating
places and elsewhere people learned
fast that they had to modify their be-
hayior in accordance with new scien-
tific discoveries if they were to be
well. They also learned that they had
certain responsibilities to others; so
that when they themselves were af1lict-
ed, they were careful in protecting
those about them. All this conscious
ness of hygiene and prevention spread
amazingly fast, considering that it
reached the plain people and that no
vast educational ca ignS We're
launched either by private or govern
ment agencies.
We are witnessing similar situa-
tiOn now in the field of nutrition. The
science of nutrition and its implication
in the field of individual and public
health is probably the Youngest of the
| biological sciences. AS in every other
| field of human endeavor, man had
come to grips with the problem CEN
turieS before the flourish of success
was achieved. But at the beginning he
could only struggle and grOpe until he
gained a better understanding of the
problem and developed better tools to
approach it with. When that hurdle
| was overcome, he began to make prog
ress in earnest. This last stage took
place in the field of nutrition in the
last - years.
The first dramatic event in the ad-
vancement Of the science of nutrition
| was the virtual elimination of Il num-
ber of horrible diseases which had
plagued certain sections of humanity
for many centuries. The readers of
! these columns are familiar with such
nutlitional diseases as ricketts, and its
bony delormitieS, one of the ScourgeS
Of western civilization; beriberi, the
plague of the rice eating countries of
the East; scurvy, the aifiction of sea-
men and many others who never saw
the sea; and night blindness and eye
disease known since antiquity. These
and Il few others We're finally elimi-
|
knowledge. What few people seem to
realize is that just as knowledge Of
bacteria and infection has a direct
bearing on the healthy individuals,
making their health depend on hygiene
and prevention, so too does the science
Of nutrition have direct bearing on
every member of society from Il Simi-
larpoint of view. Every individual,
healthy or ailing, must pay as much
attention to his daily food as he does
to his daily hygiene. And finally just
as every individual is aided in his
hygienic conduct by certain social and
and governmental legislation and
supervision, so is it essential that our
vast and varied population be aided
in its nutritional habits by some broad
social aid and supervision.
Gro be cOntinued)
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