A century ago, the nation's leading advocate for public health reform was a country doctor from Dodge City. Dr. Samuel Crumbine became the state health director in the early 1900s. On Friday, a statue of Crumbine was dedicated in downtown Topeka (in front of the Kansas Health Institute). KPR's J. Schafer reports.
At the turn of the 20th Century, Dr. Samuel Crumbine served as state health director and later led the University of Kansas Medical Center. The country doctor from Dodge City can be credited with pushing legislation to require hotels to change the bedding between guests. In an attempt to stop the spread of tuberculosis, Crumbine convinced brick companies to print the public health message "Don't Spit on the Sidewalk" on bricks. He also encouraged the public to "swat the fly" and "bat the rat."
Fun fact: The character of Doc Adams in the long-running TV series Gunsmoke was based on Dr. Samuel Crumbine. The part of Doc Adams was played by fellow Kansan Milburn Stone.
