Excerpt from Thirty-Seventh Annual Report of the State Board of Health of South Carolina for the Fiscal Year, 1916 to the Legislature of South Carolina

Sir: I have the honor to submit for your consideration the Thirty-seventh Annual Report of the Executive Committee of the State Board of Health.

Your attention is directed especially to the very marked improvement in health conditions generally. While there has been a moderate increase in the prevalence of scarlet fever and measles, the total number of deaths from diphtheria, measles, scarlet fever, cerebro-spinal meningitis, typhoid fever, smallpox, whooping cough, tuberculosis and pellagra combined was less than in 1915 by This saving of life can be attributed directly to the watchful guardianship of the State Health Officer and his co-workers and furnishes the strongest possible argument for continued and liberal support. A most instructive illustration of what can be accomplished by intensive work is afforded by the results obtained by Dr. Howell in Florence County and Dr. Routh in Laurens County. The State Health Officer reports that when Dr. Howell began work in the district to which he was as signed, of 141 families, 46 had open back unsanitary privies and 95 had no privies at all. When he left, 136 of these families had constructed sanitary privies and so protected themselves against typhoid fever and hookworm. This community unit work by which sanitary instruction is carried directly to the individual can be made of immense value to the county residents and we earnestly trust that a sufficient appropriation will be made for its extension.

One of the most serious sanitary problems which confronts us is malaria and that section of the report which refers to this de structive disease should receive most careful consideration. Our knowledge of the cause of malaria and its mode of propagation is definite and the State Board of Health should receive ample sup port to enable it to carry on an extensive campaign of education, for undoubtedly a great deal could be accomplished if the simple means of prevention were clearly understood.

It is very gratifying to call to your attention the success of the South Carolina Sanatorium for the treatment of tuberculosis.

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