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

.largeThere isno longer any question.The nurses spent their morning reviewingthe mid-century White Houseconference on children and youth, andin considering its aftermath in NorthCarolina. It is perhaps enough that soa group was engaged in this pur-but unfortunate that more of uscould not have a fuller comprehension.Dedicated to this proposition, "for;every child a fair chance for a healthypersonality" it is devoutly to be hopedisuitiIOctober, 1951The Health Bulletinplies was listed as an ever more promisingmeasure of caries prevention-—a potent weapon likely to come intowide acceptance in North Carolina as itis doing elsewhere.The Secretaries were up and aboutquite early Friday morning, to breakfasttogether. Thus fortified, and erethe tedium of the day benumbed them,they plunged heroically into the monumentaltask of "Records and ReportsRequirements of the Federal Agencies."That, I submit, is the most ambitiousundertaking of any of the Sections.The Laboratory Section pursued twotopics—Public Health Aspects of FrozenFoods, and The Fluoridation of Water.In the eyes of their speakers the typicalfrozen food and the usual lockerplant presented no problem that couldnot be handled through application ofexisting Food and Drug laws and ofcurrent sanitation procedures. Theywere somewhat more at sea aboutperishable manufactured products suchas salads, spreads, and the like and hadto face up to a certain inability to copewith the problem, in the absence ofstandards and without adequate priorexperience.Water fluoridation, in these learnedprecincts long since accepted, wasstudied from the point of technical applicationrather than from the standpointof "to be or not to be."that such success will obtain in thewake of the 1950 conference as has occurredfollowing its several predecessors.With all sections now accounted forexcept the Health Educators I fearthere is no accounting for them. Withcharacteristic enterprise they havetackled civil defense. They have lived It,practiced it and preached it; before,now, and undoubtedly hereafter; sothat at this convention they are in farmore formidable array than Stalin andhis legions. Since we shall vmdoubtedlyhear more from them when we get backhome and since they have not concludedtheir deliberations I do not feelderelict in ray duty by not informingyou more fully concerning their activity.and tri-Last night combined triviaumph, frivolity and the fruitful. Thedistinguished were accorded their duerecognition, and festivity all but replacedsolemnity. Dr. Hubbard, disclosedan unusually accurate appraisal ofpublic health in that he said it growsby evolution rather than by revolution;that it is now, and will ever increasinglybecome, a mainstay of civilization.The discourse of this morning youhave heard and it needs no summary.Coming from a Tarheel so illustrious itdeserves top billing and would be ahighlight on any program.There remain a few items of businessbefore us. At this juncture a year agothere were undercurrents of dissention,strident voices raised in discord andtempers poorly bridled. May I presiune,as eider statesman by virtue of previousservice, to counsel an end to thesethings. Honest differences of opinionthere must surely be, but unity we musthave rather than division.Freedom to speak implies also theright to keep quiet. Follow your inclinationsto either course, but if tothe former, do it with moderation.