The New York herald., 1879-01-04
PUBLIC HEALTH.
NATIONAL PROVISIONAL COMMISSION PROPOSED
TO REPORT TO CONGRESS A PLAN FOR PER-
MANENT ORGANIZATION.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.


BALTIMORE Jan. 8, 1870
special session of the Advisory and Ex-
ecutive committees of the American Public
Health Association was held yesterday and
to-day in the National Hotel. Washington.
with very full attendance. After long discussion
of sanitary matters memorial to Congress was
adopted unanimously, setting forth among other
things. "that it is highly desirable that Congress
shall during the present session provide for
the proper organization of provisional
national health commission; that the objects
and duties of thiscommsson should be as follows:-
To report to Congress at its next session plan for
national public health organization, said plan
to be prepared after consultation with State
boards of health. and with all those who pos
special knowledge experience bearing on this
subject; this plan should include for national
system of quarantine; that it should take charge OF
any Investigations into the causes and means OF
vention of yellow fever and other epidemic diseases
ing experts for that purpose 50 far as
it may be necessary. One Of these investigations, at
all events, should he made at point where
yellow fever is epidemic. and by experimental
methods as suggested in the report OF the COM
mittee on the general report OF the yellow fever
commission printed at the last meeting of the
association. We do not think that this commission
should be burdened with any administrative duties
which are not connected with the Investigations
just referred to, and it should in man.
ner be dependent upon or be connected with
any existing bureau or, department OF the
that this commission shall be composed of men well
known for their scientific attanmens and knowledge
Of public hygiene. They should be persons with
whom all scientific and professional men OF the
country will be glad to cooperate and advise,
they might consult personal interests or ambition
rather than the public good End whose opinions
when presented, after due deliberaton, will COM
mand the respect II not the assent of all well edu
Gated men. Such persons not common, yet VIC arc
well satisfied that they exist and that their services
can be procured for this very important work;
that the proper selection Of these men is matter
Of difficulty and which will require the greatest
care. They only be selected by some man or
body of competent to judge OF their merits. Po
itcal or local considerations should have no weightn
this matter. unless there legal or con-
stitutional objections should any officer OF the gov
ernment be burdened with or allowed to assume
the responsibility of selecting them. After
posed to secure this end, which is felt by all
to be vitay necessary to success, Of opinion
that the simplest and surcst method and the one
which will command the most general approval
among the scientific and professional men of the
country is that Congress should request the National
Academy OF Sciences to designate the members OF
the Commission. That the number of persons in
the Commission should not be less than seven nor
than nine that they shall elect their own Off
GERS, and that their compensation should not
be less than - dollars per diem for each
and every day, that they are engaged in
the work of the Commission, besides their
travelling expenses; that the Commission shall be
authorized to employ such clerical force as may be
mission shall fix the rates I, pay OF Its employees
and of the experts which it may select
and employ. That, upon the request or the COM
mission the Secretaries of War; of the Navy and OF the
Treasury and the Attorney General shall be authorized
to detail officers from their several depar. .ments
to aid in the investigations undertaken, the mem
bers so detailed not to exceed three from any
one department ut the same time In conclusion,
we declare that in opinion the true interests of
public health and sanitary science in the United
States are i'll great danger at the present tme and
that is the duty Of all professional and scientific
men, both individuals and members Of soci-
eties to endeavor to prevent premature legislation
which is now threatened but which believe the
great majority of national legislators will oppose
II properly informed on the subject
MR.. LAMARs BILL.
The following protest agains. me passage OF the
also adopted:-
Whereas bill is now before select committee of the
@sns Of public hsal,h whereas Bill provides FOR
of unknown in other department.
Resolved that the Of said pin would not promote
tive Committee be instructed to communicate this opinion
to Congress.
CONFLICTING OPINIONS OF NEW ORLEANS DOC
TORS IN REFERENCE TO THE scoURGE.
NEW ORLEANS Jan. 8, 1879.
DR.. F. Loeber, practicing physician and member
of the Board of Health. testified that he believed
yellow fever to be indigenous to this
place; do not think that the epidemic of 1873
can be traced to any imported cases; do not be-
lieve that quarantine prevent cpide mic; be-
lieve in the germ theory. and think that the fever
is reproduced from specific germ not liable to
destruction so far gather from my experience
by chemical means.
To Surgeon General Woodworth-I believe yellow
fever to Indigenous because it has been sat
isfactorily proven to me have been imported but
at the same time cannot say that has always been
indigenous; il the conditions atmospheric and 9TH
ers not present. or ere not favorable the dis
is not generated from the germ and in this
account for years in which have escaped yellow
fever in an epidemic form; also believe germs to
be Indigenous to Mobile and Galveston; regards
vicksburg and Memphis 1 believe it to have
been imported from New Orleans; / believe that
the best means OF prevention are oy thorough hy-
New York and Baltimore. where also believe germs
to have been indigenous. and where believe these
eradcated by strenuous sanitary regulations.
CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FEVER.
To Senator Paddock-The necessary conditions
heat long continued invsceraturc lack Of efficient
hygienic measures. improper drainage and general
low condition OF sanitary regulations. think that
the first genuine case Of yellow fever saw was
The case Annunciation street. made care
full inquiry in the vicinity but failed to discover any
and indeed fail to connect it with any other in
the city, as the patient had not left the house
for some weeks previous. DIR. Axson agreed
with that the case was one of genuine
yellow fever. In some regions Of this city which
were extremely filthy l account for the absence Of
been present think the fever would have been pres
cnt in aggravated form. believe in atmospheric
influence to the extent that the germs may be trans
mited by currents of air. but to what distance
not say.
FEVER CAN DE IMPORTED.
At the evening session DIR. Joseph Jones, member
Of the Board of Health. was examined. lie said the
yellow fever be imported. but he could
not trace the last cpidemic TO that
source He believed epidemic could occur
IN New Orleans without importation. provided the
causes are favorable is in favor of rigid quarantine
not of the present lax system, but Of rigid quar-
antine here and also against Mobile and Calves
tom If quarantine there should he lax and
inefficient: believed in the germ theory, although
ne has not much studied it, believed the disease can
he reproduced. DR.. Jones gave some interesting
statements about chemical and microscopic ANALYSIS
of the blood of yellow fever patients, black vomit
and parts of yellow fever bodies He
has expcrmentcd with animals by injecting
yellow fever germs into their bodies
causing death in twelve hours. He has never seen
such results accruing from injections with the blood
of other fobrile diseases.