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Description: Social Services Conf. Page 3
Date: March 25 1915Newspaper published in: Washington, D. C.
Washington Times March 25, 1915 Social Services Conf. Page 3
SAYS HEALTH MUST PRECEDE MORALITY
Miss Mary Gwynn Speaks at Final Social Service Conference Here.
“Many fail to realize that nothing can be done for the moral or spiritual betterment of homes until the principles of cleanliness and health have been taught.” Miss Mary GWYNN told those who attended the final weekly conference on social service at Rauscher’s today.
Miss Mary GWYNN, president of the Washington Diet Kitchen Association, which conducts the five infant welfare stations here, exploded two misconceptions she said are generally held about the work of that body.
“In the first place we do not deal with children who are ill,” she asserted. “We try to conserve the health of those who are well. Also we do not simply keep open house to dispense advise and milk, Our workers go into the homes and teach mothers the elemental lessons of diet and care for children.”
Dr. W. C. WOODWARD, health officer of the District, in describing “Public Health Service and the Home,” said the notable gap now in the concern of public health agencies with the individual was between infancy and school age. This gap, Miss GWYNN said, the Diet Kitchen Association was trying to fill.
“With this exception,” Dr. WOODWARD said, “the public health agencies literally begin at birth to deal with individuals and follow them to the grave.”
Dr. WOODWARD described birth and death registration methods, termed the child labor laws and eight-hour laws some as primary agencies for health conservation, and told of the efforts to give residents in congested communities pure air, pure food, pure water, and protect them from contagious diseases.
“Without our sewage systems, garbage collections, public water systems, segregation of communicable diseases, and similar efforts of health agencies,” Dr. WOODWARD said, “life in a modern city would not be possible.”
Walter C. CLOPHANE presided. A resolution thanking Ranucher’s [sp.] for the use of the rooms, introduced by Mrs. Archibald HOPKINS, was passed.
Announcement was made of the National Conference of Charities and Corrections to be held in Baltimore May 9 to 15, in which a number of Washington social service and charity experts will take part.