Application made for entry under second class mailing privileges at the post office at Sacramento, California. In order to distribute quickly and Dr. Walter Lindley Dies. By the death of Dr. Walter Lindley, GUY P. JONES WALTER LINDLEY, M.D., Los Angeles, Mild Epidemic Influenza Returns. It will be noted in the morbidity report that nearly 1000 cases of influenza and an increased number of cases of pneumonia were reported in California last week. This means that epidemic influenza, in a mild form, has definitely made its reappearance in California. Few fatal cases have been reported so far and it is apparent that the disease in California is of the same mild type that has prevailed recently in New York City and in other eastern communities. California Birth Registration Improving. When California was admitted to the United States Registration Area by the Bureau of the Census in 1919, the state had a birth rate of 16.8, the lowest of The Board, any state in the Union. through its Bureau of Vital Statistics, immediately set to work to improve birth registration in California. Inquiries and reminders concerning unphysicians and midwives throughout the state. In fact, a checking system has been worked out so effectively that the state registrar is now able to point to those physicians and midwives who are consistent in their failure to register births. As a result of the campaign undertaken, the birth registration rate for 1920 increased to 19.3. The extenin an increase of more than 20 per cent sion of the system during 1921 resulted over the 1919 figures, making the birth rate for last year 20.3, the highest birth registration ever achieved in California. registered births were sent to some 1500 While some California communities are reporting rather large numbers of cases, they are nearly all of a very mild form, and in no way comparable with the severe type of the disease that caused so much damage and loss of life during the winter of 1918-1919. While it is probable that a larger number of cases will be reported this week, the State Board of Health does not view the situation with alarm. The Board emphasizes the importance of providing the best of To be sure, the cooperation of other nursing care for all persons who may bureaus and of various organizations and suffer from influenza. Skilled nursing officials not connected with the State is of first importance in cases of influ- Board of Health have contributed to enza. In some cities of the state lists of bringing about better registration. It is resident nurses are being prepared in believed, however, that through the order that if a large number of cases of determination of those physicians and the disease appear all patients may re-midwives who habitually neglect to file ceive adequate care. birth certificates there has been developed an important factor in permanently raising the birth rate of California. Ear May Harbor Diphtheria Ignorance is a vice, and when it results in injury to anyone it becomes a crime, a moral if not a statutory one. To infect another with indirectly, disease, either directly or as a result of ignorance, is an immoral act. The purpose of government is to protect its citizens, and a government which fails to shelter its citizens against infection is neither intelligent nor moral. To transmit disease of body or mind to offspring is an unpardonable sin. In a reasonable sense it is worse than murder, because it projects suffering into the future indefinitely.-Victor C. Vaughan. The recent experience of Dr. Frank W. Hodgdon, Jr., health officer of Pasadena, emphasizes the importance of making careful examination of all diphtheria cases and carriers. It sometimes happens that discharges, other than those from the nose and throat, may contain diphtheria organisms. In Pasadena, the health officer found a boy with a chronic discharging ear, a culture from which showed the presence of many dipththeria Why worry about heredity? Take what you organisms. Since isolating the patient, have inherited into your own hands and under that district of the city where 40 cases your own will shape it into what you would have it to be. If you have inherited a weak of diphtheria and one death had occurred body, by right living you can strengthen it: if has been entirely free from the disease. you have inherited weak lungs, you can make Dr. Hodgdon feels sure that this carrier them strong by keeping them filled with fresh air day and night; if you have inherited any was responsible for the outbreak. The predisposition to any disease or weakness, you occurrence proves that it is necessary to can overcome this tendency by cultivating examine thoroughly all cases and car-good habits, especially those counteracting the weak tendencies. Why worry?-Bulletin Ari dard Treatment for Malaria. r. C. C. Bass, of New Orleans, professor of experimental medicine, Tulane School of Medicine, and chairman of the subcommittee medical on R. N. Certificates Expire March 1. Under the provisions of the amended Nurses Registration Act, registered nurses' certificates will expire, if not renewed before March 1. research, After this been renewed. National Malaria Committee, one of the date no nurse can call herself a regisbest known authorities on malaria, istered nurse unless her certificate has conducting an active campaign for cludes a provision that the certificate The law, however, instandardization of methods in the treat- may be renewed after March 1 on the ment of malaria. He urges that proper payment of the lapsed fee, which will and effective treatment of this disease mean that the applicant must pay $2 be taught in all medical schools. The instead of $1 in order to renew her standard treatment for this disease is certificate. Immediately after March 1 that proposed by the National Malaria a list of registered nurses, with their Committee two years ago (Public Health addresses, will be sent to the printer and Reports, Vol. 34, No. 52, December 26, 1919). Dr. Bass writes: "I have been in especially favorable position during the past six years to observe the effect of this method of treatment in a large number of cases, both from a standpoint of relief of clinical symptoms and from the standpoint of cure of the infection. Notwithstanding the fact that many physicians believe they have seen instances in which clinical symptoms of malaria were not promptly relieved by large amounts of quinine, I have not been able to find and personally investigate a single instance in which clinical symptoms of fever or chills and fever due to malaria were not relieved within three days by 30 grains of quinine sulphate by mouth daily. So much for the effectiveness of the part of the standard treatment for the relief of clinical symptoms. I have known of a very few instances in which the infection was not cured by the eight weeks' part of the standard treatment which is for this purpose. These few instances have occurred among several thousand persons who took the treatment and therefore are comparatively unimportant. There is no question in my mind, therefore, but that the standard treatment is as effective as could reasonably be desired. Therefore, I believe, that if we teach medical students who are to be the physicians of the future, the standard treatment, we are teaching them an absolutely effective method, far superior to many of the methods employed at the present time. Although one teacher may prefer one slight modification and another another, it must be apparent to all that better results would follow if we all taught exactly the same method." as soon as received will be placed in circulation. This list will be as important to the nurse as the published list of licensed physicians is to the physician. It is sincerely hoped that all registered nurses of California will have their names on this list. "PUBLIC HEALTH." Public Health is the science and the art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting physical health and efficiency through organized community efforts for the sanitation of the environment, the control of community infections, the education of the individual in principles of personal hygiene, the organizaearly diagnosis and preventive treatment of tion of medical and nursing service for the disease, and the development of the social machinery which will insure to every individual in the community a standard of living adequate for the maintenance of health.C. E. A. Winslow. and gonorrhoea differ in no wise from those The principles for the control of syphilis used to control smallpox, leprosy, tuberculosis, measles, diphtheria, etc. The health officer must not regard venereal disease as a punishment for sin and crime-the victim or culprit needs help and sympathy. The immediate problem is the prevention of further spread of the infection. A person afflicted with venereal disease should be treated in the same humane spirit that actuates the physician in other diseases. Furthermore, the interests of accorded the best possible care and attention.the community require that the patient be M. J. Rosenau. While it is the duty of the attending physician to make the record of birth, and it is the duty frequently of the health office to receive and record such certificate, it is the duty of every parent to make sure that the legal record is completed as to the birth of each child. Legally, until such record is made, the physician has not completed his care of the case, and is therefore not entitled to his fee.H. B. Hemenway. CEREBROSPINAL MENIN- GONOCOCCUS INFEC- INFLUENZA Santa Clara County 8, San Jose 16, Diphtheria shows considerable reduction. There were 161 cases reported last week as against 247 cases reported the preceding week. During the last two weeks of January 637 cases were ported, almost twice as many cases as were reported during the two weeks which followed. Epidemic Encephalitis. re One case of epidemic encephalitis was reported in Los Angeles City last week. No others were reported within the state. Not a single case of poliomyelitis was reported last week. MALARIA MUMPS *Reported by office number. required. PARATYPHOID FEVER PELLAGRA PLAGUE PNEUMONIA (Lobar) RABIES ROCKY MOUNTAIN FEVER SCARLET FEVER SYPHILIS* TETANUS WHOOPING COUGH YELLOW FEVER Name and address not Section 16. Public Health Act. All physicians, nurses, clergymen, attendants, owners, proprietors, managers, employees, and persons living in or visiting any sick person in any hotel, lodging house, house, building, office, structure, or other place where any person shall be ill of any infectious, contagious, or communicable disease, shall promptly report such fact to the county, city and county, city, or other local health board or health officer, together with the name of the person, if known, and place where such person is confined, and nature of the disease, if known. IF YOU WISH TO RECEIVE THIS PUBLICATION REGULARLY, IT WILL BE NECESSARY FOR YOU TO SEND A POSTCARD TO THE CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD OF HEALTH, SACRAMENTO, GIVING YOUR NAME AND CORRECT ADDRESS. I Application made for entry under second class mailing privileges at the post office at Sacramento, California. Vol. I, No. 2 Health Day at Hayward. Health Center was a reality. Located On February 17 Hayward celebrated in the Carnegie Library building, where its second annual "Health Day," when the program for the afternoon was given, by proclamation of the mayor the citizens it is not only prepared to definitely met to learn what had been done during attack disease, but to conserve health. the past year to protect the community health, what is being done by the state and nation along health lines, and what can be done to further protect the health of the citizens of Hayward. Dr. F. W. Browning, Hayward's very efficient health officer, had prepared a program of unusual interest: 1-Address of Welcome. Mayor Manter 2-Report of President_ Peter J. Crosby 3-Report of Secretary. A. W. Beam 4-Report of Treasurer___Miss Ruth Kimball 5-Report of Activities Miss Oline C. Schafer 6-Future Activities of the Hayward Health Center. 7-What Public Health Nursing Means. Judge Harder Miss Edith Bryan, Prof. Public Health Nursing, U. of C. 8-The American Red Cross Health It is a clearing house for health resources, and through it the community comes in touch with all health promoting agencies. As a result of the work done by the Health Center, school children have been protected from communicable diseases, follow-up work has been done where children have been sent home from school, relief has been brought to families which needed it, and the Health Center has tried to teach the people how to keep well. An interesting report made by one of the school trustees showed that there had been few absences from school due to illness during the year, which he attributed to the splendid work of the public health nurse, Miss Schafer, and her assistant. This alone had so increased the school revenue that it paid the salary of the additional nurse. Definite and accurate health information is available at the Health Center; "Well Baby Conferences," "Children's Clinics," "Malnutrition Classes," are conducted at the Center, as well as classes in Home Hygiene and Care of the Sick. The latter courses are given to the high school girls and credit for their work is allowed by the school. Center Activities__. Miss Mary L. Cole, Director Public Health Nursing, A. R. C. 9-The Hayward Red Cross. Mrs. I. B. Parsons 10-Coordination of Health Education with Reference to Regular School Subjects Miss Whitton, Director Health Education 11-State Board of Health Relations to Health Center_-_. Dr. Wm. Dickie, Secretary State Board of Health 12-Mrs. McManus - Director Bureau Social Hygiene, State Board of Health Arroyo Sanatorium had an exhibit of work made by patients under "Occupational Therapy," by Miss Munro as instructor. One year ago it was the privilege of the Secretary of the State Board of The public health nurses attached to Health to visit Hayward on the occasion the Health Center have proven of such of the first "Health Day" celebration. value to the health officer, in following At this time the possible establishment of up cases of communicable disease exa Health Center, its location, equipment cluded from school, in visiting homes, and maintenance were topics of discus- etc., and of such value to the commusion. This year the Secretary again nity at large that Hayward now plans visited Hayward and found that the to secure the services of a third nurse. |