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Show OUR HEALTH PROTECTORS, THE surgeon general of the United States public health service has just issued his report for 1925. To most of us, the service and its work seems so far away that we often lose sight of the fact that the officers of this bureau bu-reau are our national watchmen against disease and that, day and night, all the year round, in every port of entry by which disease and fieath could enter our country from outside, they stand a perpetual watch. This is shown strikingly by the section sec-tion of the surgeon general's report which shows that during the entire year of 1925 there was not a single case of bubouic plague, Asiatic cholera, yellow fever or any other of what are called the major quarantin-able quarantin-able diseases that was allowed to pass. For the-first time since the national na-tional quarantine was established, no ship, ship's passenger or crew was even held in quarantine on account of yellow fever. This means that "yellow j jack," once dreaded in every seaport, sea-port, has practically disappeared. The general health of the country continued good throughout the year. The death rate per 1,000 of population popula-tion (the only practical way in which health for any large number of people peo-ple or any large area can be accurately accu-rately measured) was lower for 1924 than for any previous year. It was 11.9 per 1.000 in 1924 as compared with 12.4 for 1923; 17.0 for 1900. and 19.7 for 1SS0. a decrease of nearly one-half In -13 years. Unfortunately, all figures are not as satisfactory. Reports from 3.1 states for 1924 show tin increase in the amount of smallpox of 7." per cent in the numb,".- of cases and 02. S per cent in the number of deaths. This increase of this dread disetisa is due entirely to the neglect of vaccination, vac-cination, the only way we know at prcstnt whereby this disease can be ci :ifro!h:d. This increase did not come from ah ead. It was due entirely to care-p----npss of our own citizens. It is i a family matter, and so long as our People continue to be negligent, no he: 1th service or quarantine, however to-live or vigilant, can protect us from our own eriiTlessiiess. Heart di-i:-,M-s are c;ill the cause I di' ;!;e largest miaiber of deaths. Au- teiei bile aceidi i.is are increasing in in::. .'-er eery ye;ir. Cancer has in- j cri-iiM-l and d'-atlis fn.-.n (l::;iie;,-s have a'mot doubled. 1'eatlis of chil- I j dreti t.iiuer fve yr::r- of :e:e from j who'ijet g ceugh are as ce;,:vn- a.J I tLey were 2" vears ago. I |