increase on these figures. But he pointed out
that the springtime, even under the Czardom
was always a bad time for epidemics, especially
dysentery amongst children ; he was very
hopeful however that under the Soviets a very
much reduced death rate would obtain than
under the rule of the Czars.
Semashko went on to describe how in the provinces the business of Public Health was being organised. He asked us to understand that there had been very little local life in the villages ; people were not allowed to interfere too much in the local government of Russia : consequently the Revolutionary Government was not only obliged to set up administrative machinery but was also obliged to supply the necessary men and women for carrying on the work. He expected to be able to establish Public Health Committees in every village, township and city throughout Russia. On these he was going to secure a majority of women as members because he was convinced that in Russia it was women who must first be taught the value of keeping their own bodies and the bodies of their children clean. It was a tremendous task which he had undertaken and he was glad to have this responsible work entrusted to him, but it would tax all the resources, not merely of himself but of thousands of efficient workers throughout the country, before the masses of people realised
