Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-11-30
sANIrARIANs IN COUNCIL.


citation a cordial greeting 70 Savannah. the
cause of sanitation and the offspring OF civil
zation While there are many things which
rank high in the standard OF
civilization, none are accorded the
place of sanitation Where you find sanitation
ecaiving the attention II deserves there you
will find higher type OF civilization. Often
measures for the benefit OF the public health
are received with SCOTS and derision, and un-
educated officials issue their dogmas on the
subject with all the authority and
confidence of educated experts. and cling
10 them with the perunacity born OF
Ignorance. The medical fraternity here
took upon the work of this association with
interest. because we regard the body not only
as a great educator but benefactor whose
mission is to educate the humble mind. The
time is at hand when all sanitary suggestions
will receive the just consideration they DE,
serve and be discussed with ealmness ana
deliberation. Our city realizes the Importance
of sanitation, as is shown here 60 night BY the
presence OF ladies and gentlemen not menu
hers Of the association, our city officially
feels its importance. as evidenced by the
presence on the platform OF our Aldermen
and the Mayor, and his presence mere indlc Us
that under his administration the public health
will be preserved at all cost aud the sanitary
condition Of Savannah will not be allo wed TO
suffer. By the physician the OBJECTS OF TINS
association are regarded with favor II not
affection. We have come to regard it as a
body in which the non-DrofesSlonal and
the disciple Of Esculapius can meet
for the discussion of these important
the American Public Health Association
are thoroughly appreciated by the masses, its
success will become mstter of interest to the
people at large. The widespread influence or
its mission is the preservation of human life.
What society can be as near ana
dear to the public heart as thist
We can safely look forward to the day,
and that in the near future, when thus assocla-
ton will be the largest and most influential IN
the United States, when it will have the au-
thority to confer degrees, as is the case with
specially educated sanitary officer will be
known in every city ana town
Our city is small, there are others
which might offer you greater attractions and
grander sights, but there is one thing that we
will not acknowledge any exceed US, and that
is in the warm, cordial welcome, which now
have the honor to extend in behalf or the
Georgia Medical Society to the American PUB
lie Health Association. lApplause.l
At the close Of these remarks the Mayor
announced that the reading of the annual
report OF the President was the next In the
programme.
DR.. White then came forward aud read
his report, as follows, which was listened to
with great attention, and was frequently ap-
plauded:
PRESIDENTS REPORT.
Members Of the American Public Health AS,
ISOLATION, welcome you to its ninth annual
meeting.
on the 18th Of September, 1872, twelve gen
tlemen met at Long Brave Oh, elected to mem
bership other three present by invitation, and
held the first meeting, that of organic alton OF
this association.
To one then present, it is pleasant to note
that its members number seven hundred, and
that aided by fortunate combination OF cir
cumstances, nearly four hundred members
were in attendance at the meeting at New Or
leans. OF those present at that meeting or
organization, which we now see was SO lmpor-
tant and oppOrtune two are dead-Carl Pfelfer,
Esq Civil Engineer and Architect. and DR..
John ~ Woodwork. late Surgeon General OF
the United States Marine Hospital Service.
Had they done no other worthy work, their
prescience, and interest, and practical part In
forming this association. would be monu-
mental.
tits my Official and sad duty to announce the
death during the past year Of Dr.. George S.
Blackie, Nashville, Tenn; DR.. Greensville
Dowell. Galveston. Texas; DR.. w. G. w. Glazier.
United States Marine Hospital Service; DR.. Z
Lloyd Howard, Baltimore, Md; DR.. L. s..
Joynes, Richmond. Va; DR.. Chas. H. Smith,
Richmond, Va; DR.. E. NJ Wight, Chattanooga,
Tenn.
The time allotted to this address is much too
short to Justly set forth the many and valuable
services of these dead associates. l therefore
recommend to the association the creation of q
committee, which. before we separate, may
place before us the leading events OF their
lives. and prepare a memorial for the volume
of the years transactions, which shall fully
illustrate their services and virtues.
Physicists tell US that the warmth, light and
necessarily repeated oscillations, propagated
through space by the mysterious, inconceiva-
bly, great energies Of the sun, Every brief I'M
duatory wave of force has its value, duly per-
forms its work, surpassed by neither successor
or predecessor.
Every generation of man has its own work
labor impossible to be done by one antecedent,
or a following one. Neither has the work Of
the one going before, or of that coming after,
greater importance The generation or the
man thus does the best possible, has done as
well as those before him have done, or as sue
cessoTs can do. The curse of the world is its
idleTs awaiting opportunity.
The man who does the thing ne rt him that
requires doing has no need to * at for occa-
sions-he makes opportunity.
Endeavor to benefit by the oscillations Of
philosophy as we may, all thoughtful persons
can but greatly lament the loss of men of fine
intellectual powers, matured by labor, expert
ence and time. dying at such period of life, that
to benefit mankind there might be justly ex-
pected ten or twenty years of clearest thought,
or Well-directed, practical work oI the best
quality, of wise and wide influence.
these, our associates, have cesSed to labor,
some of them while comparatively young,
feeling that they had learned little, only
enough to begin to study to advantage, and
were eagerly looking forward to more rapidly
gained increments Of knowledge and to ripper
and more abundant accomplishments in the
future. AS with them so with others; the
pillow may be stopped afield in the furrow. For
some of US the time is aSSuredly short. Let us
take our lesson Of self sacrifice and industry
and honesty of purpose. from these our dead
aud turn TO the living, to our duties and oppor-
iunilieS from the contemplation or what they
worihily did to what there is for US to do.
Early in the year circular of inquiry was
sent TO the members or the ADVISORY and Ex-
ecutive Committee and to former Presidents
of the association, requesting them to name
those topics Of sanitary science which seemed
to them worthy Of especial consideration at
the Savannah meeting. In the replies forty
different subjects were so characterized. Or
. I'D "
were fire; dlsinfectants recommended, by two;
the parasites, or diseases Of food animals, by
three; house hygiene, by three; vital stats
tees. nomenclature, registration. etc, by
three; hygiene of the school and scholar, by
four.
The most peculiar replies from our sanitary
philosophers" were these:
THE time OF the association could be best
occupied in correcting the false theories an
nounced at former meetings." Another sug-
gests for discussion whether there De such a
thing as sanitary science.
we NAV coustrue the lesson of these numer
Gus and so varied answers to be, that those
interested in the science Of hygiene and push
ing its advance along a welextended front,
that much of our work is done on the principle
of mans doing what he finds to do ''over
against his house."
That some theories have been adventurously
thrown out, much as some railways have been
advanced on cribwork laid upon the long
erased sod of Louisiana's trembling pral-
ries," across which travellers get by audacity,
velocity and luck, but which the steady, slow
going, scarcely noticed construction trains OF
a later date will fill n be it with solid material
or accumulated fact, till the shaking roadway
and the swift, but fortunate transit, becomes
the established, the sure, the safe.
Others of theories advanced to serve as high
ways of science, are, l greatly fear, es the
Slough of Despond, wherein Christian was so
wOefully bemired, in which Bunyan tells us
had been swallowed up at least twenty thou
sand cart loads, veal millions Of wholesome
instructions, but &c remained still a slough.
The idea that there is no Sucn thing as San1
tary science. even though loosely suggested,
or as an occasion of wit in others, TO create dis
cussion, would not be surprising II seriously
meant.
Almost the whole Of the enormous outgrowth
of modern discovery and CLASSIFIED knowledge
belongs to the present century, and 1t may be
said OF hygiene as of the doctrine OF evolu-
ton. that it has barely come of age. Sanitary
science is q dependence and consequence of
general scientific research and progress.
Observers have long existed. We have had
men president far in advance of the genera
tons sanitarians, vital statisticians laboring
to-day, the sure foundations or preventive
medicine
the records of mortality throughout the United
States shows a lack almost d'sheartening OF
accurate statistics. A few cities and towns,
with perhaps two or three States, have fully
recorded mortality.
contagious is, with possibly few exceptions,
only a well meaning and well deserving at
tempt
those whose opportunities for forming correct
Judgment have been longest and BEST are in
doubt whether yellow fever be disease always
imported. or from former imp rtatlon now be-
come endemic, or occasionally imported and
sometimes surviving mild winters, or be an To-
digene, in some way bred from malaria or