HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 132, 5 June 1923, Page 4

HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY

A PRACTICAL MOVEMENT. The health or the community has received more attention in recent'years than ever before. The welfare of the State is bound up with its health, and we welcome therefore the course of lectures on health to be given by Dr. Meeredy, of the school medical officers stationed in Auckland, on Tuesday evenings, at the V.M.C.A., under the joint auspices of the Community Welfare Council and the Workers' Educational Association. If we are to build up a healthier race in the future it is necessary to consider first all those factors in our mortem life which make for disease, with a view to their elimination where possible. There is no doubt that faulty habits of diet have grown up in our community. There is no doubt, too, that these habits result in painful diseases and not infrequently death. The same may be said of the abuse of the laws of health as regards air and sunshine. It is necessary that a clear-cut view should be presented of the causes of physical degeneracy in our midst. Once this has been accomplished it should be possible to put forward a plan of campaign to remedy these conditions. The success of any compaign of this nature must in the end depend upon the desire of the. individual to improve his or her environment. This demands a certain energy nf thought and action, and we fear that few adults have to-day the self control to break long established habits and substitute new and healthier ones. Tt is, however, possih'e to bring up the rising- generation with a new and saner outlook on health. It is indeed our duty to endeavour to ini-pla-nt in their receptive minds the knowledge of health which our men of science have 'accumulated. The virtues of self-control, simplicity, and a definite system of life need to be emphasised as never before. To-day we see the fruits of the lack of such teaehiticr in our hospitals and police courts. We know that the condition of our children's teeth is appallingly bad. We know that appendicitis, cancer of the stomach and bowels, and other diseases of the digestive system are on the increase. These and other similar alarming sisrns of 2. lowered standard of health need to be met by the concerted action of the mcmheß of the community if are not to be pernetunted in our children. A course of lectures such as that under review form the basis for a campaign to stimulate public interest in the vital question of the better health of the community. The first lecture of a series will be given to-night at tiie V.M.C.A. by Dr. K. -T. T!. Mecready. 'Government school medical officer.