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

January, 1955 The Health Bulletin 11the present time, there are no mentalhealth clinics east of Raleigh. Thesefunds will go directly to the local communitieswhere the program can bemost effectively developed.Public health should continue tospeak, and we, as members of theNorth Carolina Public Health Association,should back Dr. Norton in hisrequest to the General Assembly foradditional funds for public health.The pressing need in North Carolinais for extension, not curtailment, ofpublic health work. The maintenanceof good health is the goal for whichwe are all striving; it is our duty tobe ever vigilant and to maintain thehigh quality of public health practiceswhich are so necessary in achievingthis goal. All of us should assume ourresponsibilities by giving these problemsour best thought and effort.Above all, let us be ever mindful of thetheme of this convention "PublicHealth Speaks"—and strive to keepit ever before us, throughout this yearand the years to come.WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE IN PUBLIC HEALTH?WILSON T.SOWDER, M.D.State Health Officer, Jacksonville, FloridaThe title of my talk is "Where DoWe Go from Here in Public Health?",but before I try to play the risky roleof a prophet, let's consider the pastand present of public health. I donot think that I would be adding toyour present knowledge or stimulatingyour thinking very much if I took thisopportunity to review for you theastounding accomplishments in thefield of public health that have beenmade in the last 25 to 50 years. Thealmost complete disappearance of malaria,typhoid fever and typhus feverand the precipitous drop in maternaland infant death rates, and deathrates from syphilis, tuberculosis andother communicable diseases is an oldstory to most of you; and, althoughit is well worth retelling, I am sureyou didn't need to have me come upfrom Florida for the purpose. However,I do want to point out the danger oftoo much emphasis on our glorious past,because it is apt to have a lullingeffect on us and interfere with ourplans for the future. I went to schoolat the University of Virginia, and IPaper delivered at 1954 Annual MeetingNorth Carolina Public Health Association,September 24, 1954, Raleigh, North Carolina.remember a professor there telling withan air of injury how some Yankeevisitor had cautioned him not to usethe great traditions of the Universityas a rocking chair. I fear the remarkwas very appropriate to some at myAlma Mater at the time in spite of thefact that feelings were hurt. However,let me hasten to add that, from allthat I have known or heard aboutyou North Carolinians, it is not customaryin this State to let traditionshamper the path of progress. I knowthat you will agree with me that it isnot enough today to tell the public andour appropriating bodies that due toour efforts many diseases are no longerso common or cause so many deaths.We know that the people and theirelected representatives are very likelyto be even more practical than the fellowfrom whom a friend wanted toborrow five dollars and who remindedhim of the many favors he had donehim in the past; and the fellow replied,as we all know, "Yeah, but whathave you done for me lately?" Thepeople are willing to applaud our pastaccomplishments but are not willingto pay us today or tomorrow for whatwas done yesterday.In fact, we have a tendency to exaggerateour past accomplishments and