Health and local government / by Florence Nightingale.

  • Nightingale, Florence, 1820-1910.
Date:
[1894]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Health and local government / by Florence Nightingale. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    would die to save her child is with her own hands giving it the milk that has been poisoned before it reaches her. Pre- ventible disease should be looked upon as social crime. The cost to a village of an outbreak of fever is immense, least of all in doctors’ bills, much more in precious lives sacrificed, in weakened health for those who survive. The mere cost of preventing crime by educating and rescuing children is recognised to be much less than that of punishing crime and of maintaining prisoners. Money would be better spent in maintaining health in infancy and childhood rather than in building hospitals* to alleviate or cure disease. It is much cheaper to promote health than to maintain people in sickness. Bad health and bad lives are too often almost synonymous, while good health, if not synonymous with intellectual as well as physical growth, is at least the essential atmosphere for the growth of every kind of life, including the spiritual. Pure air and fresh water are the free gift given to, and stolen away by, us, the “ perfect gift,” which costs us nothing, fouled by us at its source. Add to this plenty of clean milk, and you have the chief essentials for physical health and also for moral health. Healthy surroundings and temperance are linked together. The devil of dirt and intemperance are linked together. It has been said by -some that County Councils have had no power in the past, and will not have very much in the future, to compel those within their jurisdiction to be healthy and cleanly in their habits. But we began by admitting that from the very nature of the case, compulsion can under no conditions work the changes we want to see wrought by the obedience of consent. Where power cannot reach, “ influence ” wins her way, and where the rigid law stops dead, there a public opinion, active, intelligent, and educated works wonders by creating obedience by consent. Here County Councils, District' Councils, Parish Councils, may we not add “ Family Councils,” will all co¬ operate to give to each man and woman the chance to take his and her part in the great march forward, onward, and upward that is to lead us to the higher life. F. N. Poulton & Co., Printers, ‘'Bucks Advertiser” OHice, Aylesbury.