Medical Care in the Resettlement Administration --R. C. Williams, M.D. -------114 The Conquest of Yellow Fever and Malaria in Panama, and the Present Psychology and the Social Order --J. F. Brown--. Preparation for Marriage --Ernest R. Groves---- Prostitution: An Investigation of its Causes, with regard to "Cooperative production of motion pictures" is the phrase used by the Department of the Interior, to designate a joint arrangement by which educational pictures are produced and paid for by private businesses, and subjects selected, scenarios edited, direction supervised and distribution controlled by the government agency. This plan has been used by the Bureau of Mines over a period of nearly twenty years. During that time more than one hundred and fifty pictures have been produced, ranging from one to five reels in length. Bureau of Mines' films were exhibited last year in 84,783 showings, to a total attendance of 7,252, 319. The total budget of the Bureau of Mines' office which manages this motion picture work is about $15,000 a year. The contractual features of the plan are as follows: 1. The Bureau wishes to produce an educational or safety film. 2. The scenario is written in skeleton form, showing the points to be covered, some 3. The head of the motion picture office goes to one of the companies that has ex- 5. The company selects the film company and contracts with it; the company handles 6. Writing of the continuity and direction of the picture are in the hands of the film company, but are under the supervision of the Bureau. Officials of the Bureau review the picture and it may not be distributed without the approval of the Director of the Bureau. 7. The Bureau distributes the picture to schools, clubs, and other organizations on request, free of charge. Borrowers pay express charges both ways. If additional prints are needed they are secured from the sponsor company on request. 8. The sponsor company receives an annual report of the number of exhibitions of the film it sponsored and of attendance. It is stated on good authority that the Bureau of Mines, in more than fifteen years experience has had no "flare back" or difficulty of any kind through this arrangement. A contrast to this system of cooperative development is the direct production of films by the Department of Agriculture. Agriculture has its own camera men, technicians, does the whole job itself. Agriculture's motion picture budget is $200,000 as compared to the $15,000 of the Bureau of Mines. Agriculture produced eight fewer films last year than the Bureau. Agriculture pictures were seen by something more than 3,000,000 people as compared with the 7,252,000 of the Bureau. Because of the manner of financing the Bureau of Mines pictures, production expenses can be more lavish. This shows in technical and dramatic quality. The questions we, as health educators, would raise now are these: Can a cooperative motion picture, radio, or other educational plan similar to that of the Bureau of Mines be launched successfully by public health agencies? Do the duties and ideals of a public health service in its relation to the medical profession and to the public make for the success of such an enterprise or do they preclude success? Since commercial interests largely monopolize radio time and motion-picture theaters, should educators accept conditions as they are and work with private business? The myth that the listening public does not desire educational programs has been completely exploded by the 300,000 fan-mail letters received by the U. S. Office of Education during the last nine months, in response to their five net-work educational programs. These are sustaining programs. The time is donated by the broadcasting companies and no prizes are offered. Other sustaining programs have not shown listener response anywhere near that of the five net-work programs now being presented by the Office of Education. Mr. William D. Boutwell, Director of the Educational Radio Project, U. S. Office of Education, says that these programs have proven "that millions of Americans want educational programs, prepared to meet public tastes and interest. To those who have examined this flood of letters, there is clear evidence that educational programs, adequately financed and skillfully produced, can compete with any entertainment program on the air. This evidence challenges the moss-covered assumption that the public demand is solely for entertainment and issues a clarion call for a new definition of 'in the public interest, convenience, and necessity.' ་ ་་ The latter phrase is included in the law authorizing control by the Federal Communications Commission, the function of which is to see that radio broadcasting is so conducted. It if came to a show-down, it would be extremely difficult to get any agreement as to what is or is not "in the public interest, convenience and necessity." It has been suggested that health educators and publicists should place in the hands of business and advertising agencies authoritative information, from all fields of science, since under our present set-up, radio broadcasting is primarily a business enterprise. On the other hand, the objection may be raised that educational material would cease to be educational as soon as it reached the hands of advertisers. It would immediately be distorted into propaganda. The whole truth could never be told on any subject if the information in any way tended to decrease sales. Or some truths might be told and others suppressed. A half-truth or the suppression of truth is sometimes just as harmful as a declaration of the false. In brief, it boils down to whether or not the profit motive is or is not irreconcilable with the cultural and educational motive. At least, health educators must face the problem squarely. The Health Officer will welcome opinions from its readers. If we may be permitted to express an opinion, we would say that the type of business the government cooperated with is the important point. An insurance company, for example, makes money by promoting health and keeping its beneficiaries alive. Thus, its profit motive is in harmony with the commonweal. On June 8th at Atlantic City, a symposium on health education problems was held under the sponsorship of the Joint Committee on Health Problems in Education of the National Education Association and the American Medical Association. At an informal conference of the Joint Committee before the symposium began, Miss Anne Whitney of the National Education Association reported that the revision of the well-known manual on health education would be completed by next November. Because of the illness of Dr. Thomas D. Wood, Chairman of the Joint Committee, Dr. Riggin, Health Officer of Virginia, presided. The first paper, "Nutrition Problems in Education," was read by Dr. James S. McLester, past president of the American Medical Association, director of school health, Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. McLester said that the health of a child comes first in the Birmingham schools. He considered height and weight to be the best indices of the nutrition of the child, but that to recognize and correct the vague borderline cases of malnutrition is the chief problem. He also brought out that hidden foci of infection in children frequently prevents the proper utilization of food. When the focus is discovered and removed, malnutrition disappears. Improved nutrition and environment for children produces a larger, healthier and taller race. He believes that education must extend to the parent and the teacher as well as to the pupil. "Few forms of mental invalidism are more insidious than vegetarianism... Food fadism should be fought...The teaching of nutrition is just as important as the teaching of English and the teaching of nutrition in the schools improves the nutritional status of the whole community." Dr. Horace Newhart, professor of otolaryngology, University of Minnesota Medical School presented a paper "Hearing Problems in Education." Dr. Newhart believes that legislation should demand careful audiometric tests of all school children. A law providing for this has already been passed in New York State. Audiometric surveys have revealed that a slight defect often causes mental retardation, speech defects, anti-social behavior, and inferiority complexes. Periodic audiometric tests by Dr. Newhart over a ten year period have proved the effectiveness of reducing hearing defects. These tests also produce "hearing consciousness" among the people. The first obstacle to carrying out these endeavors is the lack of funds. Physicians, parents, teachers, social workers, and particularly legislators should be educated to these needs. "Vision Problems in Education" was the subject of a paper read by Dr. Edward Jackson, emeritus professor of ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine. "The loss of a child's hearty cooperation is the first grave mistake of the educational system." The first two years of education should be conducted largely outdoors because the child's inherent need and enjoyment of life must be recognized. There is no reason why the child in school should be deprived of sunlight. Good light is a mental and physical stimulus. Today, we have light meters that can measure the light on each desk and book. Such measurements show extreme variation of the amount of light in various parts of a schoolroom and on the blackboard. Ornamental lights usually reduce the effectiveness of the lighting, especially is this true of colored ornamental lighting. Abraham Lincoln had one candle power of light for his reading. A modern boy with a 100 candle power light ten Education about lighting must feet away reading on the floor also has one candle power. begin in the schools. All teachers, physicians, and school authorities should understand the importance of good lighting. In the discussion of these papers, several points of interest were brought out. It was pointed out that what is good for the nutrition of an albino rat is not necessarily good for a child. The question was raised as to whether an increase in size by good nutrition was necessarily a good thing, and whether the relative weight and height are good indices of nutrition. At the present time we really have no good yardstick of nutrition. It was agreed that normal vision, hearing and nutrition are basic in education. Dr. J. A. Ferrell of the Rockefeller Foundation discussed the control of communicable diseases in schools. Dr. Ferrell limited the discussion to the administrative control of disease since educational control can be found in the literature. There should be intimate cooperation between the Director of Education and the Health Department. Where should the responsibility be placed for the control of communicable diseases? First, the parent should pay, if able, the private physician for immunizations. Family responsibility is often greatly handicapped by economic conditions; we cannot however place complete reliance for the control of communicable disease on the family. The schools have usually lead and set high standards in architectural sanitation. Houses would do well to imitate school efforts. The schools have been alert, but how far can they go, and how far should they go in controlling communicable diseases is a question. Immunizations should be given, of course, in the preschool age. Schools have control over the pupils only for a part of the year. It is questionable whether schools should have entire control. Dr. Ferrell believes that schools should not attempt health services and welfare services, but should work closely with the health officer. The financial condition of the community generally determines the method employed. "The community health department," says Dr. Ferrell, "is the organization to direct the work. There is no need to have a special health organization for schools. The health department, the school physicians and parents should work together to support the work of the health department. All work should be integrated in the health department. A community should have but one health service and that should be the very best that the financial resources of the community can command." In discussing Dr. Ferrell's paper, Dr. Vaughan of Detroit said that in some cities the school health is under the department of health and in others under the board of education. The relative efficiency of the two departments should perhaps determine who should control, but under any circumstances cooperation is necessary. We should use the resources available in the respective communities. Dr. Cornell stated that in Philadelphia the school health program is conducted jointly by the health department and the schools. He believes that it would be wrong to let either the health department or the schools have full control; joint responsibility is the best. Out of 40,000 children entering the schools of Philadelphia, about 15,000 are immunized at the schools rather than in the homes. Dr. A. G. Ireland of New Jersey stated that the school physician's problem is not in the handling of the particular case, but is an educational problem. This is his prime objective. The school physician has the mass grouping of the children which the health department does not have. The public school system is the best instrumentality for disseminating health education. Dr. Ireland does not believe that the physician from the health department can do this as well as the school physician. Other experts, such as artists, and musicians, are made an integral part of the educational system. Why should not the school superintendent draw into his organization the physician? The purpose of education is continually to raise the level of healthful living; pupils are future citizens. You cannot educate |