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Show THE UINTAH BASIN FARMER Cost of Health Bureaus Is Small $- Departments That Conserve Life Cheap as Half Pound of Candy. New York. Is your health worth the price of a half pound of candy? This Is about the annual cost to each person of our city health departments, according to a report issued hy l he American Child Health association, of which Herbert Hoover is president. The report is entitled A Health Survey of Eighty-Siand deals Cities, with an extensive investigation made In 1924 covering all the cities In the country with populations ranging from 40,000 to 70,000, according to the 1920 census. Each city was visited by a public health expert to learn of the work being done to improve the health of ciiildren. The report is unique In that it is the first to be published giving a resume of the health work, public and private, of the smaller cities of the country. The average cost of the health 'departments in these cities is 42 cents In the third of cities per capita. spending the most, the average is 63 cents, while In the lower third but 21 cents is expended. Things Left Undone. The smaller city of the United States, the report says, is beginning to recognize healthy children as a community asset. However, important things are still left undone. It does not equip the official health depart-- t ents with people who are trained for the work and who are paid enough to give their entire time to the position, nor does it appropriate funds that are adequate for the serious duty of promoting the public health. The bright spot is that most communities realize their shortcomings, and some have already progressed very far In their health advancement efforts. It Is further stated that standardization In health work is greatly needed and greater efficiency Is possible at no great Increase in cost. e The average salary of the health officer in the smaller cities was found to be $3,404. Sixteen cities have no board of health, the city commissioners or council acting ns a board In most of these instances. Only 45 e health officer. cities have a e employees were found to in number from one in one vary over In live. One to and city twenty Eastern city has not a single employee in its health department, there being but four persons who devote a total of six hours a week to the interest of the health of the citix - In the matter of vital statistics It is said that many cities are lax, although an Intelligent understanding of tiie numbers of births and the causes of death is as important to the city us the balance sheets of a business concern. Many Cities Lax. There is much scientific study still needed of health administration, particularly as related to the control of disease. Twenty-eigh- t different procedures were found in use for the release from quarantine of a diphtheria The fumigation of a room patient. with gases following the termination of a case of disease was found practiced in a third of the cities, although this method was abandoned years ago in the larger cities In faor of more modern methods of cleansing. Ihe report looks favorably on the progressiveness of 40 cities which are to Immunize using children against diphtheria. In one city 4,900 children were thus protected during 1923 and 1921. The reportrng of tuberculosis to the health authorities is stated to he Inexcusably lax. There were 17 cities where the number of deaths reported actually exceeded the number of cases, although, as a matter of fact, there are probably from five to ten cases to every death. "The social and economic advantage of treating cases early In childhood, or in the early stages of the disease, is still frequently disregarded, is one of the conclusions of the study. Special Facilities. These special facilities to combat tuberculosis are recommended for every city: (a) classes for substandard children with special rooms, modified work programs, rest and extra food; (b) summer camps for underweight children and contacts of cases; (c) hospital facilities for incipient toxin-antitoxi- n cases, child or adult; (d) hospital fa cilities for advanced cases; (e) pro vision for the assistance of the post sanitarium case who still must lead a protected life but who can under such conditions he In the protection of mothers, 4C cities have established prenatal clinics under the guidance of physicians and five cities have mothers conferences with nursing supervision. The importance of this educational work and professional care is indicated by the fact that approximately ten mothers die annually from causes due to childbirth in the average city of 5U.UOU population. The infant is said to be the best looked after of any age group in the Infant welfare clinics community. were found in SO of the 86 cities. On the other hand the preschool child is the most neglected of any age group. The report emphasizes the importance of health care for children in the years before entering school. Physical Examination. examinations of school Physicftl children are quite universal, but this work is greatly in need of improvement and standardization. The schools in 65 cities are reported to have added courses in health along with the three It's. The common drinking cup, which was a constant danger in spreading disease, is reported to have virtually disappeared from the public schools. It was discovered In only 13 out ot 900 schools visited. Eighteen cities admitted having had epidemics of communicable disease traced to the milk supply in the last five years. The report stresses the need for more practical methods of educating the public in health. The laymans Job of conception of the present-dathe health department Is that of nuisance inspection and garbage collection, which is quite erroneous according to the report. It is recommended that the inspection of nuisances such as noise, unsightly rubbish, ashes, untidy yards ami cellars, vacant lots and dumps, which I is said have little, if any, effect upon the public health, should he delegated to the proper city departments, Hre. police or street cleaning. Just Little, Smi STRANGE PROPS Carrying his luggage and his golf clubs, he climbed into an ancient hack and told the driver, an old negro, to take him to the local hotel. The colored man eyed the bag with Its queer sticks. Finally his curiosity got the hotter of him. Ross, lie begun, please, suh, scuse ax you a question? me, but motif Go ahead and ask," said the pasqueer-lookin- g 1 senger. What kind of a lodge is you institutin ? American Goiter. A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD y Alice D it a good neighborhood? Slay My dear, they all have and never pay cash for a thing the buv lawn-mowe- rs ! Look Good to Us life there aie heap, worse Ills Than setting these Two dollar bills. In A Climbed Matterhorn in Fast Time The Old Days where I lived hey would only serve jou a drink after hours with a meal. The mayor made a ruling that a egg (instituted a meal. egg? "Why not a The mayor thought hard boiled egg better. We used to get to throwing em somewhere. Yes, sir, in one town full-tim- hard-boile- soft-boile- full-tim- d Full-tim- Precept and Example Didnt you hour your father say full-tim- e we must economize? answered Miss Cnyennev Yes, Rut lie was smoking a tlfty-cen- t cigar when he said it. SPOKE FROM THE INSIDE zens. It Is said the official health work of every city should be under the direction of a person with special education and training in public health nnd in educutlm.il administration methods of health promotion. The way to ultimate economy in health expenditures. the report rends, lies in employing trained personnel basis." m a It Is accepted by public health experts that Jhe services of a nurse connected with the department of health are Invaluable, the nurse being looked upon as the great messenger of health. She goes Into the homes to work of the clinics. Jo the follow-uShe also disseminates health facts among parents and children and Is on the watch for the first symptoms of A tontaglon among school children. In found public health nurse was There were VJ depart(very city. ments of health without nurses, hut In these Instances the nurse was supplied y private organizations. full-tim- e Tree Surgeon Your tree, sir, is hopelessly decayed. Tree Owner Why didnt those other tre men toll me that before? T. S. Ierhaps they didn't speak from the inside. p fifteen years old, Alum In the center is pictured Miss Eileen Jackson. in the record Hie heights ufter scaling Matterhorn resting on the crest of the while a guide Is on is her father, ime of 43,4 hours. Standing behind her thus in I!1, 4 hours, making the entile dtlior fcldc. The girl made 7the desceut hours. thun trip In a little more Bit of Color My rll tin Llzette needs a coat of paint I'm tired of these somber hues, spruce the old girl up a bit And five her a Jab of rouge. |