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Show THE WAR AGAINST DISEASE. ; In an article on "The War Against Disease'' in the January Atlantic Monthly, Dr. Winslow brings out in a most striking manner the value of an aggressive, ag-gressive, well-equipped health department. His . most interesting illustration is drawn from Buffalo, whose health commissioner undertook to reduce the rate of infant mortality by two specific measures -by a careful supervision erf the milk supply and by the distribution of printed instructions on the care of infants to every family in which a birth was reported." re-ported." Within eight years he death rate among children under 5 years of age in Buffalo," says Dr. Winslow, "had diminished, one-half. The import ance of such a diminution in infant mortality is evident evi-dent when the fact is considered that the deaths among children are out of all proportion to the num-. ber of individuals. Most infants begin life in a healthy condition. Their excessive mortality is largely nlue to improper care and feeding. The ignorance ig-norance among parents is fairly appalling. Physicians Physi-cians are constantly called to attend children whose . illness is the result of over-feeding or of being given improper food or of failure to sterilize bottles or of neglect of some simple sanftary precautions. The experience of Buffalo shows that these needless mistakes may be in part prevented through the efforts ef-forts of an alert and properly equipped health department," de-partment," In Chicago, New York, Boston and other" big cities, the health department is made a prefunctory institution. It is one of the important parts of the municipality. It is liberally supplied with funds, and the police and the f ourts see that its orders are enforced. . Every year-new fields for the operations of health officers are being opened.' The recognition of the need of sanitary precautions with regard to tuberculosis has added to the labors of the health departments. But no matter how well such an institution is equipped, its aggressive worf will not count unless the police and courts compel the observance of the department's rules. Especially Especial-ly is tn;.s true with regard to quarantine regulations. regula-tions. The health officer . must be supported by peace officers and citizens alike if his work is to be made effective. y |