The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

]6 The Health Bulletin January, 1927
NATIONAL NEGRO HEALTH WEEK
Sometime ago Surgeon General Gumming
of the U. S. Public HeaKli Service
announced that National Negro Health
Week would be observed this year from
April 3 to 11. The U. S. Public Health
Service and all of the dilTere^it state
boards of health throughout the country
heartily endorse the observance of
this week. One notable item which is
deserving especial mention is the very
hopeful announcement by the Surgeon
General that the death rate in some
Southern States among the negroes had
very rapidly decreased during the past
few years.
All organizations, and agencies, and
people of every walk in life who are
interested in the vital subject of reducing
the death rate among negroes
from preventable diseases, and there-
fore materially benefitin
t,
the whole
population as well as the negroes, are
urged to cooperate with the leaders of
tlie negroes in every community, such
as negro physicians, school teachers,
and ministers, in an endeavor to make
this year one of the most successful
heretofore.
•
The State Board of Health will, as
usual, supply general literature on the
subject of preventable diseases applicable
to all the population. This literature
in reasonable quantity may be had
free of charge from the Board of Health
ofHces at Raleigh, provided assurance is
given that it will be distributed carefully
and systematically to the people
who may be reasonably expected to
profit by receiving it.
RURAL SANITATION
By H. E. MILLER, C.E. *
Director Bureau of Sanitary Engineering, North Carolina State Board of Health.
"N
Introduction
Distribution of Population
North Carolina had a population of
2,559,125 in 1920 and has an estimated
(U. S. Census Bureau) present population
of 2,812,000, 30.4 per cent of which
is colored. The greatest proportion of
colored population exists in the coastal
plain and central section, where cotton
and tobacco are the leading farm
products. The colored population steadily
decreases from the coastal plain in
the east to the mountains in the west
where there are many sections without
a single colored person.
The State is 85.0 per cent rural on
the basis of the Federal Census Bureau
classification. There is no city that exceeds
a population of 75,000. There are
238 public water supply and sewerage
systems available to 818,161 persons,
29.1 per cent of the total population
of the State. There are also 316 industrial
villages, unincorporated and
other unincorporated places with a total
population of 310,718. See Fig. 1.
Climatic Conditions
The climatic conditions range from
a very mild, almost tropical, climate
along the coast to the mountain section
where snow and ice are common in
the winter season.
Soil and Ground Water Conditions
The soil and ground water conditions
vary from the coastal plain sand with
high ground water tables through sandy
loam and red clay to the mountain
slopes with disintegrated rock thinly
covering the out cropping layers of
solid rock. We are not, however,
troubled wath limestone.
Prevailing Private Water Supply
The prevailing private water supply
is the open dug well, usually quite
open, equipped with the famed "old
oaken bucket," except in the sandy
areas of the coastal plain where driven
pipe wells equipped with pitcher pumps
are the common practice for private
water supplies.
* Before the Rural Health Work Session, American Public Health Association at Buffalo,
October 13th, 1926.