, 1873-05-02
PURl[ClhEALTh.
Address by Dr. Stephen Smith, boforo
tho American Public Health Asa0cl.

CINCINNATI, O., l+ay 1.-The general charao.
ter Of very long paper by DR.. stopllen smltl
OF Now York, boioro tho American Public Health
to,lox,rs, aas w s"shoIus ,s 'to1,. 1he
1ono"ihB cnAfaotorlseto extracts: Ihe Rcioncc
which NO cultivate and which this Association ia
organized to promote, 1scardlug tho traditions OF
tho past and tho toaollngs Of fslso PHILOSOPHERS,
nnoa 49,, .a"n saas haso ooon sot 1os sho gulu-
"'''' "No oontto4 OF mhhs earthly o1lntenco by
o1no6 concentrations OF tr11o phyalology.
This solonoo Of ltfo reveals 10 us tho atuponlous
1nn1ovftv H.. it,. 1u T. ., Aea1s1 a'la I,
.nes'A.5 tnat uboh8o ID abnormal, and
'nes noth arc proyontablo by human agcncics. In
ordor to fully comprehend Tho mission Of snni-
o,r man, W. so,,,I a. H. an.oot - 0nse
w., n 1@so' VIC snoulo at tho outset OF our organ"
!1oo enorss, thoroughly understand mans In
horent capacity for health and long litc, md the
oondtione O. which modify OF vltiate thom for
1t wo labor In tho belief that diaeheo and
death are vtsitstiops Of God for vioatlon. n, Tho
moral codo our ofrortn viii ho win 1,onase ,w,1
not bo nroyontod sna NJ" da,t 20 ,a % eeasos VI"
a Claims e Of sna oGnsaaS S
ind !nheritod e1lstenoo. Il is IA q well.ssstaS. llso
Ito is eradualiv T ionothonnS ~ ot cfp'1faaa nmaa
communities, TLe fneiiooi nrofaaaon ha
been acoueton,od to tia ionreaned
proof Of it's own nore ar,ccoasf,,1 u,n1n 81 gt 20
lng dsoaso, but thoro aro ABUNDANT eyiaoncea vi uas
and moro sl9nifcant oxnanatona I thnt ne hos
not been Am In 1nane advsnno =. - has
olyllzatiop. whioh erahios hin, r. Iva - iii, aaa
expenditure OF Yitsl force an1 which ,sai,a h;p'
70 aoek his own highest welfare in The sn Common non
]nhtinod ID axine tho norjod ~ mnna aortio ~
" oristencn at ahn1t I'M ,o.-n 1ou trta T.
The lon0th OF 1fo to whio Nv nv tas a1 ;,1
heront Fight. Every death ct an % aao S abort or Of
conditions, to oauson inhorept In mana or;aimI
81 constitution; for vhatoyor poouliarI tiea 1na1,
may inherit from his ancestors which ourtnil thia
poriod, his normal development is atiii necor5.
i5,ng to tho typ, which Vt slyes him 100 yoara of
scarcely bo drawn than shst whfch i illustrates S
its mortality In contrast to groat longev-
ity. With his immonao intellectual puporfori-
", man appears Inferior to .the moanost md
lowest ezoaturo in his capacity to caro- for him
is: Must those things needs bo? Is thiS onor- aru,
nous sacrifice Of human life noceeaary7 Tho
anHwor Of tho ages past has beon In tho
Affirmative. Wo aro not, thon, claiming
too much for eanitary soionco who11
tho knowledge. undor tho guiding hand OF Prov
idence, to 1ongthon or shorten at viii bis earthly
existence. Ho may expose bis offspring. a. 10
gencrally does, to cold, to hunger, to foul air,
and improper food, and to avoidabio diseases, and
Sor % Se may o ad E e al III is s Ss1s
ps ts sna Il msl asaafsa gassbs ss ssd s93 3 and
So Or, On the contrary be- may protest I to hum
b1cst infant and so nourish us to rcar
1t to manhood; ho may 30 order his life aa ia
fully and beautifully develop Ills passions and
appetitoa; lo may sustain tho wastoil onorr;as of
tic agod and focblo, 30 as to mako their dnys
long In tho land, and by those 1noanB extend
the period Of. longevity, unless Incident
n11o ~ i, I'm I.
his constitution. It may 10 asked how its Tint.
with all this power, and with ali this knowlolge.
man In this enlightened ago and In this colnfryy
so adapted to tho full enjoyment Of personal
control; in other words, Why indiyidalisu1
such powor and such knowledge suroly WI promise. l
Wo answorB ignorance. Tic people It largo
do not know, much loeB realize tic
extent to which they may control
their own Longevity, DR., Coz, of Washington.
tional ba1itary Bureau, 1aid tho idea Of central
Bureau Of Health did not perbapa altogether
originate with tho speaker. More thai IT.
feen Sx n,n yeafa g p.,. ago IL . was Advocated
tho English nresa. nnd Il wns shown hnw Fnrna
pean Goyornmenta which hnd a1iontod n Haath
bureau secured tho gresteet honot1te u isH ihoir
people. Tho object to be gained in it; this
largest amount @ Of correot t informatinn unnn ny
oyery subject connoctod with the n,,hio I,oait},
and sow Il hroa1cast nvor ~ t,ipn puoo io1 u1A ~
tic benefit Of the whole 4"In noon1a nj,
In yIow of tbis n occrrrod ~
him that the GOVERNMENT sbon1d adv.nce
among thc tirst tn rnnsorvn tho has1+,, W H..
oopulaton md arreat tho diaaatara euh;ni " i
monaco il. 70 this and fo had as Ghairman ~
tha Gommjtta annonta NJ "t the ,aat 10 naara a 81
nr frs1nnd Tx Xii nrssonfod ~ 3sa 1in;a5 uo
5tsten sennto by senatnr psttsraon u ni"'9v ~
Nan Humpahiro, Ind % whch al "tItson, IL rronor o
Una x.orid rnno}ra H.. aoa;aa w. RASoPoA
zrasa Hn thonoht thns hsI a,'c,, '..1 ,,-c " oop
sted fow yeors a1o whan t1,o choiarn ,"Sa H.
n tbs Ri tha Tasta.s ~ !sa, i.a
n1iotIon. or at jenat in none nj them ,voiiiJ II
,yer have assumed the proportion OF m epi-
lemic. Cincinnati would not hav6 boon
her trade paralyzod, and untold misery
md anguish brought upon her people.