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10 The Health Bulletin February, 1951 aries of our State. The previous year, the total was seven. Despite the sensational references to polio in certain quarters, there were only twenty-four deaths from this cause throughout the State last year. This was only one in excess of the twenty-three w7hich occurred in 1949. In connection with preventable deaths, it is well to point out one field in which no progress seems to have been made. We refer to accidental deaths. During 1950, automobile accidents accounted for the death of 1,089 persons in North Carolina, as compared with 954 in 1949. Many people think of motor vehicles as being responsible for most accidental deaths. This is not true. Out of a total of 2,340 deaths from all accidental causes in the State last year, 1,251 had no connection with motor vehicles, but occurred, for the most part, in our homes and were preventable. An entire broadcast recently was devoted to this subject, as some of you may recall. The Meaning of Statistics It has been stated that statistics, viewed as just so many figures, have little or no meaning. It is only when they are properly and helpfully interpreted that they become significant and helpful. Vital statistics are highly important, because they constitute the bookkeeping of life and death, and affect the entrance into and exit from this world of every human being. For a partial interpretation of the figures given you, let us go to the physician in charge of the Division which gathered these statistics. Reference here is to Dr. Charles P. Stevick, who has made these pertinent observations: "While communicable diseases have been pushed down, the coming of civil defense has given to this problem a new significance. War always is accompanied by an increase in certain communicable diseases." It might be well to point out just here, however, that prior to the discovery of modern methods of immunization, it was often the case that more men in the armed services died of diseases which then were not preventable than from bullets. During the War Be- tween the States, cholera, smallpox, and typhoid fever killed thousands of soldiers The same was true in the War with Spain. But around the turn of the century, preventive medicine took on a new meaning. With the discovery and perfection of means of immunization, disease casualties in our armed forces have decreased each world war. However, the death rate among civilians from the destructive weapons of war has constantly been on the increase. It has been pointed out that, when and if the next war comes, there will not be a safe spot on the face of the earth. Dr. Stevick went on to point out: "Even with modern means of immunization, communicable diseases and epidemics present a war-time problem as evidenced by the present, or recent, typhus epidemic among the soldiers of northern Korea and Communist China. But, because of our advance in medical science, our servicemen in Korea, so far as we know, have been free from preventable sickness." Dr. Stevick significantly pointed out that immunization of children now not only is necessary for their own protection, but is a part of the preparedness program for civil defense. We must not forget the communicable disease problem which, although it may be of small proportions at the moment, requires maintenance control. Any relaxation might well mean relapse into conditions which formerly existed. Future Health Frontier In conclusion, Dr. Stevick made this significant observation; that, with the elimination and control of preventable diseases of childhood, the degenerative diseases among those in middle and late life constitute the Public Health frontier of the future. Even now, special studies are being made of these diseases, with a view to their future control if, with all the facts in hand, this, perchance, may be brought about. Secrecy no longer is a factor in dealing with human sickness. It is necessary for the patient to know the nature of his or her illness, in order to bring about that cooperation with the physician which is so vitally necessary, if a cure is to be effected.
Object Description
Rating | |
Fixed Title * | NCHH-04: The Health Bulletin [1914-1973] |
Document Title | The Health Bulletin [1914-1973] |
Subject Topical | Public health -- North Carolina -- Periodicals. |
Subject Topical Other | Public Health -- North Carolina -- Periodicals. |
Contributor | North Carolina. State Board of Health. |
Publisher | Raleigh, North Carolina State Board of Health. |
Repository | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Health Sciences Library. |
Host | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Date | 1951 |
Identifier | NCHH-04-066 |
Form General | Periodicals |
Language | English |
Rights | This item is part of the North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection. Some materials in the Collection are protected by U.S. copyright law. This item is presented by the Health Sciences Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for research and educational purposes. It may not be republished or distributed without permission of the Health Sciences Library. |
Digital Collection | North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection |
Sponsor | The North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection is an open access publishing initiative of the Health Sciences Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Financial support for the initiative was provided in part by a multi-year NC ECHO (Exploring Cultural Heritage Online) digitization grant, awarded by the State Library of North Carolina, and funded through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). |
Volume Number | 66 |
Health Discipline | Public Health |
Digital Format | JPEG 2000 |
Print / Download PDF Version | http://archives.hsl.unc.edu/nchh/nchh-04/nchh-04-066.pdf |
Document Sort | all; group-b; nchh-04 |
Volume Link | http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/search/collection/nchh/field/identi/searchterm/NCHH-04-066 |
Title Link | http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/search/collection/nchh/field/documa/searchterm/NCHH-04 |
Catalog Record link | http://search.lib.unc.edu/search?R=UNCb1296443 |
Description
Fixed Title * | Page 10 |
Document Title | The Health Bulletin [1914-1973] |
Subject Topical | Public health -- North Carolina -- Periodicals. |
Subject Topical Other | Public Health -- North Carolina -- Periodicals. |
Contributor | North Carolina. State Board of Health. |
Publisher | Raleigh, North Carolina State Board of Health. |
Repository | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Health Sciences Library. |
Host | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Date | 1951 |
Identifier | NCHH-04-066-0048 |
Form General | Periodicals |
Page Type | all; article |
Language | English |
Rights | This item is part of the North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection. Some materials in the Collection are protected by U.S. copyright law. This item is presented by the Health Sciences Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for research and educational purposes. It may not be republished or distributed without permission of the Health Sciences Library. |
Filename | healthbulletinse66nort_0048.jp2 |
Digital Collection | North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection |
Sponsor | The North Carolina History of Health Digital Collection is an open access publishing initiative of the Health Sciences Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Financial support for the initiative was provided in part by a multi-year NC ECHO (Exploring Cultural Heritage Online) digitization grant, awarded by the State Library of North Carolina, and funded through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). |
Volume Number | 66 |
Issue Number | 3 |
Page Number | 10 |
Health Discipline | Public Health |
Full Text | 10 The Health Bulletin February, 1951 aries of our State. The previous year, the total was seven. Despite the sensational references to polio in certain quarters, there were only twenty-four deaths from this cause throughout the State last year. This was only one in excess of the twenty-three w7hich occurred in 1949. In connection with preventable deaths, it is well to point out one field in which no progress seems to have been made. We refer to accidental deaths. During 1950, automobile accidents accounted for the death of 1,089 persons in North Carolina, as compared with 954 in 1949. Many people think of motor vehicles as being responsible for most accidental deaths. This is not true. Out of a total of 2,340 deaths from all accidental causes in the State last year, 1,251 had no connection with motor vehicles, but occurred, for the most part, in our homes and were preventable. An entire broadcast recently was devoted to this subject, as some of you may recall. The Meaning of Statistics It has been stated that statistics, viewed as just so many figures, have little or no meaning. It is only when they are properly and helpfully interpreted that they become significant and helpful. Vital statistics are highly important, because they constitute the bookkeeping of life and death, and affect the entrance into and exit from this world of every human being. For a partial interpretation of the figures given you, let us go to the physician in charge of the Division which gathered these statistics. Reference here is to Dr. Charles P. Stevick, who has made these pertinent observations: "While communicable diseases have been pushed down, the coming of civil defense has given to this problem a new significance. War always is accompanied by an increase in certain communicable diseases." It might be well to point out just here, however, that prior to the discovery of modern methods of immunization, it was often the case that more men in the armed services died of diseases which then were not preventable than from bullets. During the War Be- tween the States, cholera, smallpox, and typhoid fever killed thousands of soldiers The same was true in the War with Spain. But around the turn of the century, preventive medicine took on a new meaning. With the discovery and perfection of means of immunization, disease casualties in our armed forces have decreased each world war. However, the death rate among civilians from the destructive weapons of war has constantly been on the increase. It has been pointed out that, when and if the next war comes, there will not be a safe spot on the face of the earth. Dr. Stevick went on to point out: "Even with modern means of immunization, communicable diseases and epidemics present a war-time problem as evidenced by the present, or recent, typhus epidemic among the soldiers of northern Korea and Communist China. But, because of our advance in medical science, our servicemen in Korea, so far as we know, have been free from preventable sickness." Dr. Stevick significantly pointed out that immunization of children now not only is necessary for their own protection, but is a part of the preparedness program for civil defense. We must not forget the communicable disease problem which, although it may be of small proportions at the moment, requires maintenance control. Any relaxation might well mean relapse into conditions which formerly existed. Future Health Frontier In conclusion, Dr. Stevick made this significant observation; that, with the elimination and control of preventable diseases of childhood, the degenerative diseases among those in middle and late life constitute the Public Health frontier of the future. Even now, special studies are being made of these diseases, with a view to their future control if, with all the facts in hand, this, perchance, may be brought about. Secrecy no longer is a factor in dealing with human sickness. It is necessary for the patient to know the nature of his or her illness, in order to bring about that cooperation with the physician which is so vitally necessary, if a cure is to be effected. |
Digital Format | JPEG 2000 |
Print / Download PDF Version | http://archives.hsl.unc.edu/nchh/nchh-04/nchh-04-066.pdf |
Document Sort | all; group-b; nchh-04 |
Article Title | Life and Death in 1950 |
Article Author | Richardson, William H. |
Volume Link | http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/search/collection/nchh/field/identi/searchterm/NCHH-04-066 |
Title Link | http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/search/collection/nchh/field/documa/searchterm/NCHH-04 |
Catalog Record link | http://search.lib.unc.edu/search?R=UNCb1296443 |
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