SOCIAL HYGIENE
Author: Petar Kolarov
A group of Bulgarian authors expose in this work their experience and ideas concerning some problems of modern social hygiene. The work represents an attempt to systematize contemporary problems of social hygiene in the light of scientific theory and achievements of medical sciences. The appearance of the book was greatly stimulated by the discussion launched in several medical journals of the USSR and other socialist countries.
The General Part deals with the principles of social hygiene, its theory. It is introduced by a chapter on health and disease discussing the social and biological factors of health in their entity and interaction. Further, the methods of studying the statics and dynamics of health are presented. A new definition of public health is formulated; the fundamental principles of different public health systems are given, as well as, a brief description of the present state of public health in countries of various world systems. A critical light is thrown over contemporary bourgeois theories of public health. Thereafter, the forms and methods of medical and health care are discussed, their backgrounds and importance for the organization and activity of medical and health services, i.e. the present concepts and methods of diagnosis, prophylaxis, therapy, rehabilitation, and their appraisal.
A chapter is dedicated to the health services, presented as a system of medical establishments and medical administration. An analysis is made of factors determining the structure and distribution of medical establishments, their mutual relationship and subordination, as well as the main streams in the development of medical services. The structure of public health administration, its evolution and forms of activities are discussed in this chapter, also. The general hospital as basic medical establishment is studied in some details. The importance of the out-patients department of the hospital is stressed. Due attention is given to medico-architectural problems of hospital construction, machanization of different activities in the hospital, new developments in the care of in-patients.
Further, some occupational health problems are briefly outlined, as well as the public health needs of rural population. The manpower aspects of medical services are presented from a medico-demographic point of view, as well as in the light of formation and continuous training of medical personnel of various professions. A sufficient space is given to problems of medical ethics and deontology. Separate chapters deal with the collaboration of the population in public health activities, with its different methods and forms of organization and health educaton. Social insurance, being considered as an activity of a great public health importance, its development, principles, solved and unsolved problems are discussed from a national and an international point of view.
The problems of health planning and economics, recently receiving an ever growing attention, are elucidated by some national and international experiences. Some aspects of international activity in the field of health assuming a continuously increasing importance are exposed in a separate chapter. An evaluation of the activity of the World Health Organization is also made. The general part of the book closes with a historical review of public health development in the USSR and Bulgaria.
The Applied Part encloses chapters on nutrition problems, limitation and eradication of infectious diseases, on parasitic diseases, tuberculosis, mental health, cardiovascular diseases, cancer control, accidents, endemic goitre, diabetes, maternal and child health, acceleration, rehabilitation and other problems. Most important problems were chosen, so that this part makes no claim to be comprehensive.
All the chapters are illustrated mainly by public health examples from Bulgaria, as well as from the USSR and other socialist countries. In many cases a comparison is made with public health theory and practice of other countries, and publications of the WHO are largely quoted.
The book is designed for public health doctors and teachers, but it is of a certain interest to all doctors and public health workers. The editor appreciate very much the contributions of the well known authors K. Winter (Berlin) and B. Smulevich (Moscow). Their participation makes the work contribute to the efforts to lay the scientific foundations of the public health system in our countries.
CONTENTS
Introduction - definition, development, contents, association with other health sciences, methodical apparatus, international significance, etc.
General Part
Chapter I. Health and disease
Chapter II. Methods for studying health of the population
Chapter III. Health care - theoretical foundations
Chapter IV. Critique of some modern bourgeois social hygiene theories
Chapter V. The marxist-leninist parties and health care
Chapter VI. Methods and forms of health services
Chapter VII. Health administration
Chapter VIII. The hospital - main type of complex health establishment
Chapter IX. Medico-sanitary care of workers from the industry
Chapter X. Medico-sanitary care of rural population
Chapter XI. Health care and society
Chapter XII. Planning, economics and financing of health services
Chapter XIII. Health manpower
Chapter XIV. Ethical and jurisprudence questions of medical practice
Chapter XV. Health insurance
Chapter XVI. Health education
Chapter XVII. International activity in the field of health care
Chapter XVIII. History of health care
Applied Part
Chapter XIX. Social hygiene fundamentals of nutrition
Chapter XX. Maternity health care
Chapter XXI. Child health care
Chapter XXII. Acceleration
Chapter XXIII. Llimitation and eradication of infectious diseases
Chapter XXIV. Tuberculosis
Chapter XXV. Parasitic disease control
Chapter XXVI. Cancer control
Chapter XXVII. Mental health
Chapter XXVIII. Cardiovascular disease control
Chapter XXIX. Endocrinepathies
Chapter XXX. Social hygiene problems of senescence
Chapter XXXI. Traumatism
Chapter XXXII. Rehabilitation