HH62/2/SUTHER/37

Transcription

[Page] 36

whose privileges or opportunities of learning this necessary art have
been few.
And, seeing there is an undoubted tendency to change from some
of the wholesome and renowned diets, the proneness, which is some-
what prevalent, to use inferior substitutes, should be checked, and
better principles of guidance inculcated by encouraging the teaching
of cookery and domestic economy in schools and technical classes.
To say that the means for supplying such a necessary article of
food as MILK are more efficient in some large towns than in many of
our country villages is not creditable to the reputation of the country,
and the possible explanation of such a fact is that so few in our
villages, because of the lack of sufficient land and accommodation for
cows, are able to keep them. This is much to the detriment of our
young growing children, and should surely be remedied.
By practical teaching, again, the future mothers of our country
should be taught more of the science of Clothing in health and
disease, and so be able to withstand the powerful commands of custom
and fashion.
Others need to be encouraged to call in the services of trained
nurses and doctors in disease, who would be better able to pilot sick
ones through trouble, and prevent its spread, if contagious, to others.
Many people, because of cramped space at home, or distance from
a doctor, cannot be properly treated with such assurance of success
as if they were situated nearer or could be housed in Cottage Hospitals
which would receive certain kinds of diseases and injuries from three
or four contiguous parishes, and be supervised by local doctors or
nurses. This is particularly to be desired in some fevers, where, on
account of the disquiet and crowded air of poor homes, the sick per-
son cannot get the best chances of recovery, and the unaffected are
incurring a great risk of infection, because of no power of isolation.
Small hospitals would thus actually prevent many non-infectious
diseases from becoming aggravated, and those poor crowded homes
with infectious disease would be prevented from spreading it further,
or at least the likelihood of their doing so would be greatly mitigated.
In the present undeveloped state of the roads and ways of transit in
our county, no one Hospital would suffice for the whole; and, more-
over, for a rural population, small, well-chosen, three or four-roomed
houses, under suitable supervision, would be ample.
In these ways PREVENTION of much disease would be brought
about, and this, along with the limitation or eradication of its present
too large amount, is the aim of all sanitarians.
Some there are who, in the breach of sanitary laws, are more
sinned against than sinning - they have no option or choice where
to dwell, because of their dependent position or poverty. And for
the amending of their surroundings an approach must be made to
those who are responsible, such as Parochial Boards, who permit
paupers to dwell in hovels, smoky, damp, and ill-drained; or in some
cases farm servants or outworkers, who are housed in a manner not

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so well as the animals of the field. The Local Authority, being
responsible for the condition of all classes and conditions, must
specially help those who cannot help themselves.
The way to resist epidemics is not to be busy after their outbreak
among us, but to be ever on the alert to prevent the formation or
accumulation of the uncleanly soil in which their germs are grown -
to offer no invading ground on which they can get a start. We know
where, if a wave of any of the once prevailing diseases were to arrive
at our shores again, it would find most ready access - at the weakest
spot, i.e, where dirt and stagnation of air do abound, and cleanliness
of houses and surroundings is at a minimum. And it is in those
conditions also that the health of inhabitants is so reduced in amount
as to be unable to resist such an invasion. How industriously men
everywhere attend to cleanliness after disease has made a first invasion
in a district, and with what willingness to incur expense if only the
evil be further averted. How unreasonable is our fashionable method
of first of all permitting the disease to get a footing, and then the
turning of heaven and earth to limit its progress. The predictions
and suggestions of sanitarians fall too commonly on deaf ears, till a
panic or great fear is spread with the disease which was previously
proved liable to come and make a fatal attack. But not till some see
an explosion and destruction of life from the actual contact of a spark
and powder, will they believe that an epidemic explosion can result
from the impact of suitable germs on our, alas! in many places, ever
present powder - which is filth. With the hopes that these facts of
science only require to be made known to be suitably acted on, I feel
confident that our inhabitants in the main will give a ready com-
pliance to our demands for their welfare of body and pocket. For
nothing is so expensive as disease, and I think I have shown how a
great deal of it and the attendant expense can be prevented.

BUT WHAT OF THE HINDRANCES TO PROGRESS ?
All remedies and preventive measures would be able to work
quietly and harmoniously towards betterment if only people were
willing to act according to light and encourage reasonable endeavours
to be made.
Progress is aided directly by propulsive force of machinery from
behind, and also indirectly by removal of obstruction from the
onward path, and I should like first of all to try and remove some
obstructions in the shape of misconceptions which exist in the minds of
many; and one largely existing and powerful hindrance is the
mistaken belief that in our pure country air and light and exposure
to frost and sunshine and wind, diseases cannot be so prevalent as in
our crowded cities. Facts and figures are looked on as of more
importance than preconceived notions, and from our tables of disease
it can be seen how very common some diseases are.