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Excerpt from The Health Bulletin, 1920, Vol. 35 The importance of the initial effort in cooperative county health work, as is described in this issue of the Bulletin, is realized when we reflect, first, that the larger part of our country's population is rural, and, second, that on the vitality and efficiency of the rural population depend the food supply and the cost of living - the first consideration of every citizen whether of the country or the city. Present Status Of County Health Work In North Carolina In the Seventeenth Biennial Report of the State Board of Health, for the years 1917-1918, Dr. W. S. Rankin, State Health Officer says: "The State Board of Health, by its educational activities, has fostered, strengthened, and directed an interest on the part of the counties in local health work so that today North Carolina has sixteen counties, embracing a total population of 687, 634, or 281⁄2 percent of the population of the State, under whole-time county health officers. No State in the Union has developed its county health work to a like extent." During 1919, six additional counties provided for whole-time health officers, making a total of twenty-two such counties in the State, comprising 38 percent of the State's population. Of the twenty-two, fourteen have county health departments conducted in cooperation with the State Board of Health. These counties, with the names and addresses of their health officers follow: Wilson (organized Sept. 1, 1916) Dr. L. J. Smith, Wilson. Nash (organized July 1, 1917) Dr. G. W. Botts, Nashville. Davidson (organized July 1, 1917) Dr. E. F. Long, Lexington. Northampton (organized Aug. 1, 1917) Dr. P. G. Parker, Jackson. Lenoir (organized Aug. 15, 1917). Dr. T. F. Wickliffe, Kinston. Pitt (organized Dec. 1, 1917) Dr. P. J. Chester, Greenville. Robeson (organized Dec. 1, 1917). Dr. E. R. Hardin, Lumberton. Rowan (organized Jan. 1, 1918).Dr. C. W. Armstrong, Salisbury.