Health and the Citizen

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 2, 24 July 1931, Page 32

Health and the Citizen

‘RECENT talk by Dr. Hughes, of the Health: Department, should prove valuable if it quickens our thoughts to the responsibility resting on every citizen in the effort to maintain national: good health, As the speaker pointed out, without citizens there can be no nation; without healthy citizens the nation is decadent. From a purely economic viewpoint, the unhealthy citizen is either non-productive or, at least, produces at a value well below par. Prevention being better than cure, it behoves every one of us to take the simple steps outlined by the Doctor, which will prevent, or at least check the spread of disease. Two of the principal causes of illhealth and mortality in the Dominion are heart disease and cancer. The former is frequently the result of ayoidable overstrain, while cancer often develops as a result of some perfectly Simple cause, such as the tongue brushing over an uneven tooth. In all cases of infectious diseases the plentiful use of a good disinfectant, immediate isolation of the patient, and prompt notification of the Health Department may prevent much unnecessary suffering and loss. For the rest, greater attention to personal hygiene, care by employees in certain trades (printers, and those coming into daily contact with lead), the abatement of dust and smoke, the increasing use of open-air schools, and so forth, will all be rewarded by a greater measure of national health. It would seem that the members of the medical profession are not quite ynanimous as ta the advisability. of

building up national health to a point which makes it more immune from disease, or, alternatively widening their knowledge as to the best method of fighting disease after its appearance. From the viewpoint of the average layman there can surely be but one replykeep the disease germs strictly at bay. Incidentally, do not forget that both the fly and the rat are two of ‘the greatest: germ carriers in the world Show mercy on neither!