New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-12-19
GOVERNMENT SANITARY SCIENCE.

The functions of our Government are I'M
questionably expanding. Senate bill No. Loo
is certainly striking evidence of the fact. we
do not think it was many years ago that a Dill
of the comprehensive character of that intro
dnced last week by Senator Patterson 10
Establish Bureau of Sanitary Science" would
have excited establishment, to say the least
Had something of the sort originated in the
House, where they are cbOked TO death ior
want of ventilation while the architects dispute
whether to pump fresh air in or t0uI ar OUT
the matter would not have been surprising;
but there is no pretense that the Senate does
not get all the airing it needs except when IL
locks itself into committee rooms. The Ma
tional Sanitary Bureau is not, however, to
confine it's labors to the swampy borders OF
the Potomac. 1t is to acquire and diiiuse Saul
tary science all over the Republic. Hygela IL
to embrace the goddess of Liberty on the
dome of the Capitol and spread thence her
wings of healing over the entire land.
There is to be a Commissioner of the Bureau,
with salary of blank dollars; likewise
Chief Clerk thereof, with annual blank dollars;
also Chemists thereunto and Experts addi-
tional, each with blank dollars per annum.
There shall also be "And So FOrth" thereto
attached, aud it or they shall have blank
salaries. And part of the perquisites OF the
new establishment shall be the ranking privi-
lege. Further expenditure of moneys ap-
"propriated by Congress" is also contem-
plated i'm short, the new bantling shall not
grow anemic for want of a circulating medium.
The general scope of duties of the new con-
Germ seems to be something like what most
people unacquainted with the science OF gov
ernment-perhaps in this case we should say
the government of science-at Washington
would have supposed might be conducted
by a mere extension of the census. lt
is to collect statistics OF medical Geog-
"raphy, including climates, marine or
"littoral, upland or inland, mountain /;
"ther diseases, including ThOracic and
"Glandular Zone, Intermittent Zone,
Gastric Zone" Already the proposed Bu-
reau adds TO general knowledge, most of us
not having got further in geography than
Tropic, Temperate, and Polar Zones. All
kinds of diseases are to be investigated those
of animals, cereals, and potatoes, and in par
ticular certain zymOtic diseases, including
"typhns snarlatina, rnbeola, their causes ana
"prOphy laXls.' lew Oh Inese, VIC tnOugnt,
were the kind of Affections over which the
Commissioner of Agriculture sits supreme
But the new institution viii attempt "practi-
zeal and scientific experiment." even on rust
Gin wheat, potato rot, rye and corn fungi"
and "soil analyses" Indeed, we have not
room to tell a quarter of all the newly sala-
ried gentlemen are expected to thrust their ele
CANT fingers into. Smallpox, yellow fever,
vaccine matter, sewerage land nuisances in
general" are to come under their manpula-
tions. We wish them joy OF their occupation.
May the material they find to their hands
fully equal, to all their senses, their utmost
anticipations. Let them commence with the
Credit Mobilier.