as in Boston, and the seasonal distribution is almost the same for the two cities. Recent studies of the seasonal variation in the intensity of brain reaction of St. Louis encephalitis and of endemic typhus made by Doctors Lillie, Dyer, Armstrong and Pasternack of the National Institute of Health, show that the average intensity of the brain reaction for both these diseases is greatest in the winter and least in the summer months. The average intensities roughly parallel an inverted environmental temperature curve. Man has proved himself the most adaptable of all living things since he has been able to adapt himself to all the climates of the world. But man, too, surely has an optimum climate--one in which he thrives best--although what it is has not yet been determined. Indeed, Ellsworth Huntington proposes two "best" climates for man. For physical health, he says, the best condition is summer weather in a mean temperature of about 64 degrees, which means up to 70 degrees or more by day. For mental activity, on the other hand, Huntington says we work best in weather averaging about 38 degrees, that is when there are mild frosts at night. For the well individual then, it would seem that the "best" climate is probably a matter of preference--or adjustment. For the sick, many of whom believe that a "change of climate" will contribute to their recovery, the advice of a skilled physician familiar with the circumstances, is, as always the best. Modern methods of treatment are gradually replacing the necessity for changes of residence once thought indispensable to recovery from tuberculosis--and often burdensome if not financially disastrous or impossible. New engineering feats are bringing practical hydrotherapy to communities of varied climates for the repair of crippling conditions. Experiments with sulfanilamide give promise of curing gonorrhea and thus preventing the arthritic effects of the infection which have sent many in search of a favorable climate. Health at home is the first requirement before seeking the "healthiest" climate. This is the tenor of a leaflet--"Climate and Health"-prepared by Assistant Surgeon General Robert Olesen in answer to the many letters received by the Public Health Service from individuals requesting advice on the subject. "A careful physical examination, a substantially correct diagnosis of the ailment, familiarity with the patient's social and economic status, and advice from a climatologist, are all essential before a change of climate is recommended." Single copies of this leaflet are available upon request from the Division of Sanitary Reports and Statistics, U. S. Public Health Service. For additional references which the Service recommends an SYPHILIS AND GONORRHER HAVE YOU GO TO YOUR DOCTOR OR DEPT. OF HEALTH BUREAU OF SOCIAL HYGIENE, 51 STUYVESANT PLACE, 5.1. FEDERAL ART PROJECT POSTERS THIS compelling poster was executed by the Poster Division of the Federal Art Project, District 1, New York City, for the Bureau of Social Hygiene of that city's Department of Health. The copy was provided by a medical officer of the Bureau. Excellence of design, sureness of execution, brevity of the message and readability of lettering commend it. It is possible to develop posters of this type, produced in color by the silk-screen process, on poster board 22X28 inches in size, at approximate cost of 7 each in quantity orders. The cost of professional designs and commercial production of comparable quality is prohibitive for many health departments. Several other Federal Art Projects are doing excellent work for public agencies in various parts of the country. The next three pages illustrate other posters by the New York City Project. |