Reviews Activities of Martin County Health Department
Health Unit Rapidly
Gaining in Importance
General Health Is
Boosted By Office
In P^st 12 Month
s
Keport of tbr Department's
Work In Submitted by
Former Officer
Success marked the operation of
the Martin County Health Depart
ment during the past year. Dr. F E
Wilson points out in his annual re
port just recently released. Taking
over the work in the early part of
1939, Dr. Wilson extended the pro
gram and materially increased the
health program as it related to the
general public. Resigning his post
as of January 1, this year, Dr. Wil
son completed on his own time a sta
tistical survey which is advanced in
the general report, as follows:
The year. 1939, has completed the
first full calendar year for statisti
cal data from the Martin County
Health Department, and it has been
a year of successful public health
work Advancements have been
made in every phase of our work,
and these have come about espec
ially from the splendid cooperation
of the personnel of the department,
the board of health, and the general
public. The Martin County Board of
Commissioners, the Enterprise Pub
lishing Company, and many interest
ed individual citizens of the county
deserve due credit for their stimu
lating encouragement in the promo
tion of the grnrrat hoattff of?Un
people.
This report covering the major
phases of our activities for the year
is not intended as a statistical report
but as an explanation of the princi
ple programs carried out. The report
will?be listed under the several
heads:
Communicable I)btca.se Control
A number of years previous to this
organized clinics for the mass im
munization of the public against ty
phoid fever had been established.
This year clinics were set up in ev
ery section of the county for the im
munization of both colored and white
for complete immunization against
typhoid fever and diphtheria. The
total number of persons receiving
the Luinpletu piuU'i'tion against ty
phoid were--8178;-tmrf-for diphtheria
1647. There were 2124 successful
smallpox vaccinations given and it
is now estimated that better than 95
per cent of all children in the ele
mentary grades have been vaccinat
ed against this disease. This is par
ticularly noteworthy since there is
no law of compulsory vaccination in
the county
Conscientious efforts were made
through newspaper articles, nursing
visits, quarantine of communicable
diseases, and by personal interview
to stimulate more adequate reporting
of contagious diseases. These efforts
produced good results, but they are
still not adequate.
A tuberculosis clinic was main
tained the first of the year with 354
persons attending and from these
341 were given X-ray examinations
through the cooperation of the State
Tuberculosis Sanatorium and the
sale of Christmas seals. Nursing ser
vice was rendered to every case of
tuberculosis reported.
Venereal Disease Control
The most outstanding achievement
for the year was the increased ser
vice and control of syphilis. An ad
ditional part-time nurse and clerk
were added to the staff and paid from
funds through the Federal Venereal
Disease Control Act. During the year
9015 individual treatments were
given for syphilis, free of charge,
and 2|0L.?blood tests for the disease
were token. The average number of
treatments per patient was 28. The
local medica| profession cooperated,
In assuming responsibility of the ac
tual treatments given these patients,
with one clinical physican in Wil
liamston and one in Robersonville
By this cooperation the health offi
cer wa?s able to offer administrative
help
A booklet written by the health i
officer and approved by the State!
I Board of Health was published and
distributed to every physician 111 the
county. This booklet included ad
ministrative procedures for the con
trol of syphilis as outlined by recent
legislative acts.
Maternity and Infant Service
One clinic each month was held
for the examination of pre-natal wo
men, newborn infants and post-par
! turn examinations. This service in
creased remarkably during the year
with a total of 259 such examinations
i being made at the clinic. This clinic
also served as an educational insti
tution in giving advice and pam
phlets to these mothers. The reduc
tion of the maternal and infant mor
tality is the chief concern of this
clinic. An additional M. and I. center
was approved for Jamesville with
services to start the first of 1940. The
local physicians also assisted in the
conduction of this clinic.
Efforts were made for the estab
lishment of a birth control clinic for
the county, but so far this program
has not been carried out. It is now
pending the decision from a spon
soring agency.
Nine meetings were conducted for
instructing the 32 midwives in the
county. These midwives were exam
ined and issued certificates after
forma 1 instructions wor?? go"'"?A
public health nuist' fium llif Smu?
Board of Health was assigned to this
department for six weeks for this
work
Pre-School and School Hygiene
Pro-school clinics were conducted
in all the white schools for the ex
amination . and immunization of all
children entering school for the first j
time in 1939. This service included
the examination of 149 white chil
dren and notification to the parents'
of any physical defects noted.
The health officer examined 3707
school children for physical defects j
plete examination of all children in
the first, third and sixth grades. Out
of 2314 children examined 70 per
cent were found to have physical de
frets, .and about 70 per cent of those
with defects were found to be from
preventable causes. It was estimated
that the cost of these preventable de
fects in repeating grades was over
$25,000 per year. Since the beginning
of the fall term of school the chil
dren in all the elementary grades of
the white schools, except the first
grade, were given visual tests. The
results of these tests will be given in
a special report.
Whooping cough was responsible
for more absences . than any other
communicable disease. An epidemic
of pink eye swept through the Wil
hamston and nearby schools but was
short lived. The nutrition of the
children as a whole was fairly good.
A dental program was carried out
in the white schools by a dentist
from the Division of Oral Hygiene.
2069 inspections were made, with
1058 prophylactic treatments given,
and 1072 children received treat
ment for dental caries. A four weeks
program was approved for dental
work in the colored schools but no
colored dentist was available for this
week. This four weeks' program,
having been paid for. will be added
to this service during 1940.
An illumination survey was made
of the classrooms in many of the
schools, but since so many were en
tirely without artificial illumination
there was no use in continuing this
service. However, a report of the
conditions found was mailed to the
members of the county school
board.
KOTTI I h IN BOND
S'fmight /tour/ton H '/tisitrt/
FULL QUART
$2Q0
FULL PINT
',?185
too PROOF
&?
&g?i
*
SCHENLEY DISTILLERS CORP., NEW YORK, N Y.
For the first time 111 Martin Coun
ty the school bus drivers were given
visual tests before being permitted
to drive the buses. One-third of all
applicants examined were found to
have defective vision and were de
nied the privilege of driving the
school children. The grand jury in
vestigated this procedure and com
mended the health department for
this srrvfre and recommended a con
tinuance each year. The health offi
cer had this report published in the
State Health Bulletin, and it was la
ter published in "The Health Offi
cer," an official publication of the U
S Public Health Service.
Health Education
Public lectures, talks, or demon
strations were made on every one of
the different phases of public health
work. Those talks were made in It#
performances to 4160 persons at
tending for this purpose or in sched
uled meetings, TTirough the coopera
tion of the Virginia Electric Ptower
company, a home demonstration
agent made many talks before P.T.A.
meetings for the purpose of sight
conservation and illumination. There
were 58 newspaper articles about
public health work published in the
Enterprise1 and other newspapers
read in Martin County. Also, there
were 151J circular letters and 2732
pamphlets on health distributed from
the health department.
A special exhibit was prepared for
the Martin County Fair and was
located in a booth for public dis
play. The booth showed the clinic
set-up for the treatment of syphilis,
a telebinocular for the examination
of eyes, and an exhibit on dental
care.
A 16mm motion picture showing
the different phases of public health
work in Jdartin County was started
but was unfinished at the close of the
(Continued on page six)
Division of Sanitation
Has Splendid Record
Hundreds Of Newlv
Built Pri\ies Dot the
County's landscape
Withdrawal of WPA Foivt'w
Latit Nuvember luterrupU
Yuliiuhlr Work
A marked blow was directed
-against unsanitary conditions in tins
j county last year, according to the
annual report telcjsrd^by "Pr F. TT."
Wilson covering activities of the
Martin County Health Department
for the past year. The report as i*
relates to sanitation and vital statis
tics follows:
A commuiyty sanitation program
through the cooperation of the WPA
vyas conducted until November 1.
1939. with a total of 328 sanitary pri
vies installed. This project was dis
continued due to the scarcity of
available WPA labor.
During the summer a sanitation
campaign was carried out by the
towns of Hamilton and Williamston
lor the elimination of breeding places
for flies, gnats and rats. The coopera
tion of all merchants in these towns
; was obtained in keeping back lots ,j
free from garbage and high weeds,
and in the promotion of general I
cleanliness.
A new swimming pool with filters
end a circulation system was built
in Williamston and the health de
partment assisted in adjusting the
clicroical qualities of the water and
in formulating rules for the sanitary
mantenance of the pool.
Realizing the need for a safe milk
supply the board of health passed
a county-wide milk ordinance which
conformed to the stancfard mltk or
dinance of the U. S. Public Health
Service. At this same time they pass
ed an ordinance regarding the in
stallation of sanitary plumbing and
septic tanks. The two lows will have
beneficed efforts on lh.? fntorn Ho.
velopment of both the milk and the
plumbing industries from a public
health standpoint.
In December the health officer
and the sanitation officer called" a
meeting of all the dairymen in the
county for the promotion of an ade
quate and safe supply oPnulk, and
the possibility of establishing a pas
bffin/ation plant This was the first
meeting of the dairymen ever held.
It was so successful that an organi
zation of these men was planned for
future meetings.
Vital Statistics
There were 625 live births and 14
stillbirths reported during the year,
with 151 deaths from all causes.
Deaths from communicable diseases
were as follows: tuberculosis. 16;
diphtheria, 3, and whooping cough 1
Of the reportable diseases syphilis
was first with 283 cases reported for
Cites Duties And
Activities of Public
Nurses In County
Varied Work U (lurried On
By Department
Nurm
?
SttpptrmmTmjST the"annua 1 report
of actIVlilt's of the Martin County]
Health Department to the board of
commissioners recently. Dr. John W
Williams, health officer, outlined the
activities and duties of the health
mtrscs of the vleparlment, as loC"
lows:
In this county, as in most of the
County Health Departments of North
Carolina, the nurses attempt to
tany out a generalized program
which include
Interpretation of the principles of
healthful living for the promotion
of health and the prevention of dis
ease.
a Home visits to teach someone in
the home to give nursing care to the
sick.
Nursing cure during pregnancy
and to the mother and new-born ba
by after delivery
Supervision of the infant and pre
school child through home visits and
group conferences.
Supervision of the health and ha
the first time, and whooping cough
next with 23H new cases. There were
20 eases of diphtheria and five of
scarlet fever. This shows a marked
reduction in these specific diseases
over the previou year, with the ex
ception of syphilis, which shows an
increase of cases reported.
I i.i? M. tin Iri I he l.oeal
School* For Coming Week
?
Monday. Jan 22 plate lunch. 10c,
ham. cabbage, tweet potatoes, stew
ed prunes, com bread, dessert, jel
lo and cream; banana salad. 5c; pi
mento sandwiches fa
Tuesday. Jan 22 plate lunch, 10c,
beef steak, navy beans, marshmal
low potatoes, pickles, hot rolls, des
sert. cup cakes. Waldorf salad, 5c;
banana sandwiches, 5c.
Wednesday. Jan 24 plate lunch,
TDc. baked chicken and dressing,
green peas, rnashed potatoes, hot
roll*. pickles, dessert, lemon tarts;
chicken salad, 5c; tomato and let
tuce sandwiches. 5c.
Thursday. Jan. 25 plate lunch, 10c,
roast pork, potato salad, string beans,
carrots, bread, dessert, chocolate
pudding, potato salad, 5c; raisin and
nut sandwiches, 5c.
Friday. Jan. 26: plate lun?h, iflc,
dtvrrrTOrn, baked potatoes, carrot
and cabbage salad, hot rolls, dessert,
cup cakes; pineapple salad. 5c; pi
mento sandwiches, 5c.
bits of the school child, including
assistance in the control of com
municable diseases and the correc
tion uf physical defects in coopera
tion w ith physicians, school person
nel and parents.
Supervision of the health of adults
especially in regards to prevention
and retardation of those diseases
specific to adult life.
Teaching and demonstration of the
prevention and control of commun
icable diseases including tuberculo
sis. syphilis and gonorrhea in clin
ics. conferences and homes.
Supervision of midwives.
Assisting with tuberculosis, vener
eal disease, maternity and infancy,
and immunization clinics, pre-school
and school examinations.
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