156 N. J. Mosquito Extermination Association 



in this evening and heard what has been said. The Bureau of Local 

 Health Administration — I am speaking of the state department 

 office, because that handles the morbidity reports and communicable 

 diseases, will be only too glad to assist in any way in a movement 

 to help this along. Because in exterminating mosquitoes we get rid 

 of diseases that cost the state many thousands of dollars, because 

 it can never be shown. I have been in communities in this state in 

 the past six or seven years, five or six years, where I have been told 

 that forty per cent, of the working men of the company, v/orking 

 when I was there, were out during the malaria season on account 

 of the malaria. Now that has never come out. That has never 

 been shown anywhere. To do work it needs men. The Bureau of 

 Local Health Administration is always up to its neck with routine 

 work on diseases that the people demand work to be done on. 1 

 have been endeavoring for two years, the state department of 

 health has, on my recommendation and their own initiative, to get 

 an appropriation to put into every county or every few counties, 

 that is, grouping them together or otherwise, to divide the state into 

 health districts, so that we can have a man representing the state 

 department of health in each one of those districts, residing there 

 and devoting his entire time to public health work. If that could 

 be brought about we would know every malaria case that is out 

 if we had just such a man in the field. And this year appropria- 

 tions for six more men were asked for and we got one ; and there- 

 fore the people who were instrumental in getting the money de- 

 manded it should be sent to their district, and they never have a case 

 of malaria unless they are sent there. 



Now any effort that will promote that effort 'in getting an appro- 

 priation to put these men throughout the state will be a movement 

 that will help this commission, it will help every kind of state work, 

 and I think it will be the best paying investment that the state can 

 make for public health purposes. And I think this organization back 

 of an appropriation of that kind, when it is asked for, would be a 

 wonderful help. 



President Rider : It has occurred to me that there must be some 

 lack of power in a law which permits such a lack of recognition of 

 the duty of physicians to report the malaria cases. 



Mr. Bowen : That deficiency would also be covered through this 

 means that I am speaking about. That is, this again works with 

 local boards of health. It is not the lack of power in the law, it is 



