Health > European conference on rural hygiene (June 29th-July 7th, 1931)

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Health Organisation, which he had helped to establish as Health Adviser and which was
in entire agreement with the ideas expressed in Professor Parisot s report.
M Vermaire (Luxemburg) read a memorandum on rural hygiene in Luxemburg
The conditions of rural hygiene in that country were satisfactory. The small area of the
country, its uneven surface, which was very suitable for building, the small
of farms and the division of the properties into small plots resulted in the houses being
mostlv spacious and clean and separated from the out-houses. Conditions had changed
from former times when every village contained a number of landless people who were
badly housed and led a miserable existence. Industry had recently absorbed this surplus
labour and the rural population now enjoyed a satisfactory standard of life. Moreover,
the use of agriculturalmachinery had greatly reduced the strain of the labourers. Elec¬
trification had become general and had brought a certain amount of comfort to the most
distant hamlets Great efforts had been made to supply the population with drinking-
water Before the war, there were two collective associations for the inter-communal
Tupply of water in the ^uth and in the north. Practically speaking, the enure country
haK abundant supply of drinking-water. Consequently, epidemics due to water had
entirGenderalPsanitea<tion was promoted by means of financial help from the State in all
healtUnd°erk'the recent law on agricnltnral improvements, ‘X8 sZe" Earned
at a low rate of interest ; while, the under law on cheap dwellings, the State granted
advances on favourable conditions to persons wishing to build houses.
The rural medical service was in the hands of local doctors, of whom there was a
sufficient number. There was no special legislation on the subject, but State doctors
pointed out any define lation wag insure(i with the Health Insurance Fund, and the
corn— wfth the help of the local doctors, provided for assistance to the needy popu-
latl0T,h1enwork1of’th^LuIemburg Red Cross was specially devoted to prevention ; m
addition, there were anti-cancer and anti-tuberculosis leagues and associations for ment
nrnnhvlaxis etc whose work had already given appreciable results.
P PLastly,’the State took on itself all expenses for the treatment of contagious venerea
diseases in the case of indigent persons, and even patients of modest means.
M Prohaska (Yugoslavia) thanked the Conference on behalf of the Yug°flav
health co operative socifties, who followed its work with great interest and expected to
Prague Congress, M, Prohaska
had been able tt? appreciate tlJ active part played by the Swrss co-operat.ve soc.etres
" ^n Yugoslavia thetgSural co-opTratrve societies were the most active agricultural
Yugoslav health co-operative societies would be distributed to the memo
Conference.