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

—
October, 1927 The Health Bulletin 29
The State Epidemiologist, by getting
all reports and getting them promptly,
is In a strategic position to take measnres
to check a pending epidemic. No
lighthouse keeper on a rocky, dangerous
coast is charged with a greater
responsibility than he who is set to
watch the signs of a coming pestilence
from the coianing-tower of the State
Board of Health, but he cannot do
anything unless he gets reports of
where the trouble exists. The State
Board of Health is like a well equipl>ed
fire department with the best apparatus
and men in the world waiting
the word to go. When the fire occurs
and no alarm is turned in. the fire
spreads because the alarm is not
turned in and the fighters know nothing
about the fire. In like manner
epidemics can occur and spread if
cases of disease are not reported. The
reporting rests on the shoulders of the
attending physician. Of course all
cases are not seen by physicians, and
all cases seen are not recognized, and
all cases are not correctly diagnosed.
Of those cases recognized not all are
reported promptly, and some not at
all.
There is a class of physician so conservative
that they wait until "dead"
sure of the correctness of their diagnosis
before reporting. There are also
a number of physicians who are careless
and do not report, and there are
a few, a very few. who deliberately
withhold reports to shield their patients
from possible inconvenience,
not giving a snap for other people
who might be exposed to infection.
It is refreshing to note that the best
physicians ai"e reporting the births and
cases of sickness they attend. In fact
it is almost a barometer of the qualifications
of the physician to note his
attitude in reporting births and cases
of sickness in conformity with the law.
Just as you would judge a good citizen
by his behavior to his fellowman
and the law. If your physician does
not stand* four square in obeying the
law, you had better look him over
with an idea of transferring your
practice. A person who will break the
law for you is just as apt to break
the law against you.
The penalty for not carrying out the
quarantine law, by either the quarantine
officer or attending physician or
householder is a fine of from $5 to
$50 or imprisonment.
A LAY IMESSAGE
The whole span of life is the time
between two meals—the first and the
last.
Birth always occurs before the first
meal, and death invariably follows the
last meal.
Into the mouth that first meal goes,
and into the mouth must go all of the
other meals. How can you expect health
if j'ou place all of your food into a
mouth full of infected and diseased
teeth How can you expect to masticate
the regular food that you will eat,
from the time you graduate out of the
milk business, until you go into real
estate, unless you so care for your
teeth that you will always have a sufficient
number in good working order
The meals that nourish you are the
meals that prolong life and bring contentment
as well as accomplishment.
If you have an ambition to be an invalid,
just neglect your mouth.
Keep your teeth clean. Have the
cavities filled when the cavities are
small. If you have hopelessly diseased
teeth, have them taken out and in due
time replace them with bridges or
plates.
In the first place, do not encourage
mouth diseases by neglect. In the
second place, do not let a sentimental
attachment for a .source of infection
keep you fiom getting rid of any tooth
that proper treatment cannot restore to
health.
Care of the teeth is just a matter of
Oral Hygiene.
good common sense.
Billy: "Papa, are caterpillars good
to eat"
Father: "Oh, don't talk about such
things at the table."
Mother (getting curious) : "Billy,
why did you ask that"
Billy : "I just saw one on papa's lettuce,
but it's gone now."—From Children,
The Magazine for Parents.