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DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT like the temperature, pulse and res

OF A COMMUNITY.

BY HAVEN EMERSON, M.D., New York City. The health officer is the family physician of the state, the county, the city or the village.

piration of a patient and disclose the state of community health. And what is the object of all this information?

In the first place the health officer needs information because he is the health engineer and educator of the His patient is the entire population. people. It is as foolish to advise This super-physician is engaged in people against pneumonia in July, or an endless campaign of study and malaria in January, as to tell a patient action for development of health, the how to treat himself for rheumatism prevention of sickness, and the post-when he comes complaining of an ponement of death. He must know earache. Education of the public is the health his population with precision, not only the number of individuals, but their officer's most important service, eduages, races, and the occupations of all cation in the laws of health and how When he learns whom he is responsible for. He must to observe them. know where they live and under what that the mothers of his county or city conditions they live. He is interested die because they have not known how in their earnings, because when wages to live in health while waiting for the are steady and income good most baby's arrival, he must spread broadcast the promise of safety which preventable diseases decrease. comes from medical care of the expectant mother.

Habits of work and play, the customs and religions of his people, are of When he learns that many school importance to him. As one person differs from another, villages, towns and children have crooked backs, weak cities have their characteristics as eyes, decayed teeth, thin bodies and definitely marked. All facts that bear diseased tonsils, he must become a upon human life and happiness must crusader in the homes of his combe collected and recorded by the health officer by standard methods for each succeeding generation.

Thus is gathered the family history of this community patient.

munity where the children are waiting for school age. When he finds from 2 to 5 per cent of working men and women sick all the time because they and their employers have not learned What does this great family eat and the necessity of cleanliness, good air, drink? asks the health officer. Is the safe machinery, avoidance of fatigue water safe and good to taste? Are in shops, he must carry his message the foods clean, wholesome, nourish- and drive it home with regulations, ing? In particular, is the milk free if necessary.

from pollution and kept cold, and Health can not be given the comclean, and covered? munity by laws, moving pictures, ofSo the inquiry of the health officer fering advice, or fining those who fail is similar to the questions the doctor to report disease. The patient, the asks when a patient in his office comes community can be as healthy as it complaining of fever, pain or weak- chooses, or as sick as it is willing to stand for. Only when the community

ness.

Is there always fresh, sweet, clean fully understands the reasonS air for these many noses of the com- things will it take an active partyin munity to breathe? Are houses, public health work. Public health is schools, shops, theaters, and trains purchasable just as private health always good places for mankind which by personal effort, willingness i requires such generous doses of fresh low advice

air, cool air, moving breezy air, to
keep in health? Do the people keep
their own bodies clean and see that
the waste and sewage of houses and
factories are disposed of decently an
without damage to others? Making
inquiry still more precise, the hea
officer wants to know at once and
all times all cases of preven
sickness, especially the commun
and occupational diseases, and
fections of mothers and little

arment

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Health Programs at San Diego.

In addition to the meeting of the Section on Prblic Health to be neis Thursday morning, April 27, at to annual Conference of Social Worker in San Diegt. joint sessions with the sections camuy and cnic wellare relief and ecucation will be ber Wednesday and Friday mornings, April 25 and 28. It is hoped that a large number of public health workers will be able to attend the con ference. The full programs for these three meetings are published here with

SECTION ON HEALTH
CALIFORNIA CONFERENCE OF BOCIAL
WORK

Civic Autisation, April 25-28, 1922
San Diego, California

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DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT like the temperature, pulse and res

OF A COMMUNITY.

BY HAVEN EMERSON, M.D., New York City. The health officer is the family physician of the state, the county, the city or the village.

piration of a patient and disclose the state of community health. And what is the object of all this information?

In the first place the health officer needs information because he is the health engineer and educator of the people. It is as foolish to advise people against pneumonia in July, or malaria in January, as to tell a patient how to treat himself for rheumatism when he comes complaining of an earache.

His patient is the entire population. This super-physician is engaged in an endless campaign of study and action for development of health, the prevention of sickness, and the postponement of death. He must know his population with precision, not only Education of the public is the health the number of individuals, but their officer's most important service, eduages, races, and the occupations of all cation in the laws of health and how whom he is responsible for. He must to observe them. When he learns know where they live and under what that the mothers of his county or city conditions they live. He is interested die because they have not known how in their earnings, because when wages to live in health while waiting for the are steady and income good most baby's arrival, he must spread broadpreventable diseases decrease. cast the promise of safety which comes from medical care of the expectant mother.

Habits of work and play, the customs and religions of his people, are of importance to him. As one person differs from another, villages, towns and cities have their characteristics as definitely marked. All facts that bear upon human life and happiness must be collected and recorded by the health officer by standard methods for each succeeding generation.

Thus is gathered the family history of this community patient.

What does this great family eat and drink? asks the health officer. Is the water safe and good to taste? Are the foods clean, wholesome, nourishing? In particular, is the milk free from pollution and kept cold, and clean, and covered?

So the inquiry of the health officer is similar to the questions the doctor asks when a patient in his office comes complaining of fever, pain or weak

ness.

When he learns that many school children have crooked backs, weak eyes, decayed teeth, thin bodies and diseased tonsils, he must become a crusader in the homes of his community where the children are waiting for school age. When he finds from 2 to 5 per cent of working men and women sick all the time because they and their employers have not learned the necessity of cleanliness, good air, safe machinery, avoidance of fatigue in shops, he must carry his message and drive it home with regulations, if necessary.

Health can not be given the community by laws, moving pictures, offering advice, or fining those who fail to report disease. The patient, the community can be as healthy as it chooses, or as sick as it is willing to stand for. Only when the community fully understands the reasons for things will it take an active part in public health work. Public health is purchasable just as private health is, by personal effort, willingness to follow advice and the payment of a very small insurance premium.

It costs less to keep a baby alive than to bury it. It costs less to prevent disease than to care for it. A sick community is a poor community and a bad neighbor.

Is there always fresh, sweet, clean air for these many noses of the community to breathe? Are houses, schools, shops, theaters, and trains always good places for mankind which requires such generous doses of fresh air, cool air, moving breezy air, to keep in health? Do the people keep their own bodies clean and see that the waste and sewage of houses and factories are disposed of decently and without damage to others? Making his inquiry still more precise, the health The health department of any state officer wants to know at once and at is the greatest insurance company and all times all cases of preventable the cheapest in existence, but it can sickness, especially the communicable not run without payment of premiums and occupational diseases, and the in- and when in addition to money, the fections of mothers and little babies. patient gives his earnest and intelli

and sickness will be reduced a quarter and the investment will be returned a hundred fold in dividends.

Dosing oneself with unknown drugs,

Section on

HEALTH.

Thursday, April 27, 9 a.m. to 12 m.
Chairman: Dr. Walter M. Dickie.

with patent medicines, guessing at the 1. Mental Hygiene and Its Relation to the

cause when the baby has convulsions, are no more sensible than treating a community without making a diagnosis first and learning the true cause and extent of prevailing diseases, most of which are preventable.

2.

Health is wealth; it is purchasable; within natural limitations any community can determine its own death 3.

rate.

#

Health Programs at San Diego.

In addition to the meeting of the 4. Section on Public Health to be held Thursday morning, April 27, at the annual Conference of Social Workers 5. in San Diego, joint sessions with the sections on family and child welfare, relief and education will be held on 6. Wednesday and Friday mornings, April 26 and 28. It is hoped that a large number of public health workers will be able to attend the conference. The full programs for these three meetings are published herewith.

SECTION ON HEALTH. CALIFORNIA CONFERENCE OF SOCIAL

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Mrs. O. Shepard Barnum,
Dr. Walter M. Dickie.

Theme: "Education and Re-Education."
Presiding:

Mrs. Elizabeth McManus,
Director, Bureau of Social Hy-
giene, State Board of Health.

1. Constructive Factors in Health.

Dr. Herbert R. Stolz, State Supervisor of
Physical Education.

2. Rehabilitation by Education.
(a) Disabled Veterans.

Health Problem.

Dr. V. H. Podstata, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of California. Discussion led by Elizabeth B. Skeele, Secretary, Associated Charities, Oakland, California.

Public Health and Its Relation to the Social
Problems.

Dr. Emory S. Bogardus, Professor of
Sociology, University of Southern Cali-
fornia.

The Control of Communicable Diseases and

Its Effect Upon the Social Problem.
Dr. William C. Hassler, Health Officer,
City of San Francisco.

Discussion led by Dr. Alex M. Lesem,
Health Officer for San Diego.

The Health Center and Its Relation to the
Community.

Dr. Alvin Powell, Director,

County Health Center.

Alameda

The Relation of the County Hospital to the

General Social Problem.

Rev. C. A. Ramm, President, State Board of Charities and Corrections.

Care of Hospital Convalescents.

Mr. Norman Martin, Superintendent of
Charities and Hospital, Los Angeles
County.

Joint Sections on

FAMILY AND CHILD WELFARE,
HEALTH AND RELIEF.
Friday, April 28, 9 a.m. to 12 m.
Chairmen :

Dr. Miriam Van Waters,

Dr. Walter M. Dickie,
Miss Katherine Felton.

1. Mental Hygiene in Solving Problems of
Ex-Service Families.

Frances McCalughry, Psychiatric Field Worker, Letterman Government Hospital, San Francisco.

2. Childhood, the Golden Period of Mental

Hygiene.

Dr. Ernest B. Hoag.

3. Child Hygiene in the Home.

Dr. A. J. Scott, Jr., Member, State Board of Health.

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It was announced in the April 15th Major F. H. McKeon, Commandant, U. S. Public Health Hos-issue of this publication that blood for pital, Camp Kearny.

the new diphtheria immunity test devised by Dr. W. H. Kellogg, could be sent to the laboratory in tinfoil sheets such as were used several years ago for sending specimens for Widal tests. This information is in error. Specimens may be sent in the Widal outfits now in use, the blood to be collected in the small vial and forwarded in regular container. Mrs. John Collier, Child Health Organi- Regulation outfits for the new test will

(b) The Industrially Handicapped. Mr. H. D. Hicker, Assistant State Supervisor Rehabilitation. 3. Social Hygiene Education.

Dr. Edna F. Bailey, Director of Science, Oakland Public Schools. 4. Conservation of Health in the Los Angeles

Public School System.

Mrs. Susan B. Dorsey, Superintendent,
Los Angeles City Schools.

5. Child Health Education.

zation of America.

be ready soon.

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