Purchasable Public Health

In the middle of the twentieth century, health officers all over the country were learning that it was possible to control disease and that "public health was purchasable." Knowledge of the basic principles of nutrition was increasing. Medical research was constantly adding to the store of knowledge which was to make for a richer and more abundant life. At the same time that progress was being made in life conservation, a new concept of the value of the human factor in industry was also developing.

The first half of the 20th century had been a period of tremendous growth in American business. Mass immigration was rapidly pouring such a huge supply of labor into cities that it was impossible to give many of these people adequate housing and safe working places. Sweatshops, insanitary tenements, and generally low health standards were the result. Fortunately, a new attitude toward those engaged in industry was in the air, a consciousness that the working man, no less than the working machine, should be protected against deterioration and damage.

Social legislation was being passed to protect him and his family. Sanitation and safeguards in homes and factories, child labor laws, and shorter working hours were gradually making it possible for wage earners to have greater comforts and health advantages. The time was indeed ripe for a large scale attack on public health problems. But facilities for the widespread application of the new medical knowledge were only slowly being con­trived.

Health departments of cities were often restricted in their activities, held a narrow view of their responsibilities, and frequently suffered from inefficiency. It was significant that the Metropolitan should have felt the propriety and urgency to contribute toward the improvement of the situation. Through its vast network of district offices and its agents, it had adequate facilities for reaching a great number of people. Its clientele, so large a proportion of the working population, gave it a real stake. A saving in human lives would prove advantageous in many ways.

The first half of the 20th century had been a huge period of growth in American business. Mass immigration was rapidly pouring such a huge supply of labor into cities that it was impossible to give many adequate housing and safe working places.