PUBLIC HEALTH

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 295, 7 September 1920, Page 5

PUBLIC HEALTH

Sir—Under tho heading of "Health of Children" you publish «, report from tho Director of tho Education Department. That the "authorities" are fully Ware of tho importance of the matter in question is sufficiently evident from jtho facta detailed in that report. That extensive organisation of materials and resources is being effcoted is also certain. It would seem, nevertheless, that much energy is being expended on a 6ystem which is not capable of yielding the results that the country requires, and which must eventually be "scrapped." Why not embark upon a national scheme of public health? Sooner or later we must. Let tho medical and dental professions become a part of tho organisation of the State, in muoli the samo way as the teaching profession already is. Practitioners to receive a remuneration of. say. .£IOOO (at present value of money). In addition to tho duties of regular practice and attendance (for which the charge would be considerably smaller than at present) each doctor and each dentist to-be required to make a detailed report once every two years on each man. woman, and child allotted to his care teay, 400). By law, overy adult should be obliged to present himself, and be responsible for presenting his children at a specified time once' every two years for medical and dental examination; in order that advice may to given, treatment recommended, and a detailed report made. Such a system would have several outstanding advantages. It would not disorganise school work as the present methods do. It would favour no individual praotitioner nor would it thrust unduly heavy work upon any one. It would provide' invaluable information regarding the man-power of the country, and a more accurate record of the prevalence of many diseases. It would ensure the discovery of infectious diseases of tho more malignant typos, and forms the only practicable basis on which any scheme for improvement of the health of the nation could bo raised.—l am, etc., ECONOMIST. Hawera, September 3, 1920..