THE DIAGNOSIS OF RHEUMATIC FEVER

Numerous factors slowly accruing over the years have resulted in focusing our attention on the problem of rheumatic fever. This would seem logical in view of the fact that it remains one of the important soluble medical problems of our day. Increase in fundamental knowledge of the disease probably accounts for the major increase in interest, along with acceptance by an increasing number of physicians of the public health or community aspects of the disease. Recently small public programs of care have been developed in some states by the Children's Bureau of the U. S. Department of Labor. The legislative authority for such programs has been made possible by federal grants in aid to the states under title V of the Social Security Act. These carefully worked out care programs, along with extensive professional and lay education by many agencies, have played a pioneer role in the stimulation of general