Editorial in Favor of Window Screens, Privies, Vaccinations, 1919

From an editorial written by B.E. Washburn, M.D., Director County Health Work, in the Aug. 1919 issue of The Health Bulletin, published by the North Carolina State Board of Health

A teachers’ meeting was in progress and a prominent school official was complaining to the teachers that at many schoolhouses the boys had broken out window-panes. The county is in a section of the state where mosquitoes and flies are found. The teachers were advised to raise money or obtain it form their school committees in order to have the windows screened so the boys could not throw rocks through them. Flies or mosquitoes were not worthy of consideration! Or, at least, no mention was made of them. The comfort and health of the pupils seemed to be small matters and insignificant when compared to damage to school property.

It is point of view which makes committeemen and school patrons build schoolhouses near the woods so that they will not need to build privies. It is no matter, of course, that the teachers and children may contract hookworm, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, or become victims of chronic constipation which may handicap them for life. These things are not considered of any value in many rural communities but to save a few dollars on the school building and its up-keep is something worthwhile! And, again, it is point of view which causes a man to pay to have his hogs vaccinated against cholera while he can’t be persuaded to have his wife and children vaccinated against typhoid fever even when the health officer does it free of cost.

But every day shows an increase in the number of people who have or acquire a good, wholesome point of view. And for this we should all be thankful.