Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 253, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 November 1917 — Duty of Public In Wartime [ARTICLE]

Duty of Public In Wartime

By DR. SAMUEL G. DIXON.

Commissioner of Health of Pennsylvania.

It would seem as though the general public ought to be fully Informed on most of the honors of war, judging by the amount that is printed on this subject. Nevertheless, there is apparently one phase that is not generally appreciated. I refer to the danger from communicable diseases acquired during the hardships of a especially If he happens to be taken prisoner and Is thus exposed in confinement with hundreds of his mates. These diseases are carried from place to place wherever soldiers are transported, and often, when soldiers are Invalided and sent home, they bring these communicable diseases with them to distribute among the civil population. Already we have felt the lack of enough phyr‘ lans to protect the health of the people at home, and the health officer Is somewhat at a loss to know how to enforce his health measures. The only solution of tbe problem is for the Individual to give time and attention to taking care of himself. He himself in a receptive attitude toward the suggestions of the sanitary officer, even though he may think some of the suggestions so trifling as not to be worthy of serious consideration. There is one thing sure, and that Is that he will consider It a serious matter If the disease warned against should happen to come ftls ■’ way.’ Sf If the writer were to think over

some of the most trifling daily habits of everyone, and select the very humdrum subject of complaining about the habit many men have of drawing their trousers over their boots In undressing, instead of taking their boots off first, no doubt there would be readers who wonld take it as an instance of giving weight to trifles. Yet they would be wrong. lam sure that one product of this habit is the common, yet always annoying and often dangerous boil. A moment’s thought will convince you that there Is something In the theory. During a day’s walking your boots have gone through miles of filth. When you slip your clothing off over them, you are taking the chance of transferring to your clothes, and thence to your body, whatever disease germs you boots may have picked up in this filth.. - . \ So these “trifles” are not a|w#s trifles. If we are going to do our duty tn preserving the health of the civil population, we must have less cases of sickness than ever before, because we have decidedly less doctors at home to take care of whatever comes up. Later on, when wounded soldiers come home with unsuspected communicable diseases, we must know how to do the best thing for them and the best ourselves, so that we may not have here, as they have had In foreign countries, widespread epidemics among the civil population to be a drain on the vitality of our military efforts. .. o