THE OUTLOOK OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORK 



health official of a great city, for example, is enabled to 

 watch the progress of disease and the effect of his efforts 

 from season to season and from year to year. To meet the 

 needs as they arise he has a number of bureaus or sections 

 devoted to inspection and sanitation, the control of com- 

 municable disease, visiting nurse activities, hospitaliza- 

 tion, the health of children and mothers and of industrial 

 workers, the operation of water works, sewage disposal, 

 milk control, and a host of other activities. 



For carrying out these measures the health official must 

 be provided with legal authority, and in many instances 

 this extends to police authority over the activities and 

 liberties of citizens. It is customary in these days, however, 

 to exhaust the possibilities of persuasion before resorting 

 to the exercise of police powers. Persons who are innocently 

 or otherwise maintaining a menace to the public health 

 are usually given a chance to mend their ways voluntarily 

 before the compelling force of authority is exercised. The 

 health official realizes full well that his duty is to all the 

 citizens, and that a friend and a convert is always an asset. 

 There is unfortunately a very fair proportion of persons at 

 large who, according to the verdict of the majority of their 

 fellow citizens, are wrong-headed about these matters, and 

 so obstinately so that there is no recourse other than to 

 compel them to do certain things in the public interest. 



Education of the public has long been a slogan amongst 

 health workers. It is possible that the slogan is less heartily 

 voiced in recent years than it was formerly. On the other 

 hand, it is believed that actual public education in health 

 matters has improved in the meanwhile. The fact is that the 

 slogan was in some instances merely a confession of weak- 

 ness. When a lack of success was encountered in health 

 work, there was a tendency to blame it on the ignorance of 

 the public and to insist that the public be educated. In 

 many instances, however, it was found that the knowledge 



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