Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-11-14
PUBLIC HEALTH.
Eleventh Annual Meeting Of the Ameri-
can Association at DetrOit-Large
Number Of
Delegates i'm Attendance, Representing
Nearly Every State i'm the Union
and Canada.
Interesting Papers on the "EtiolOgy
of Malaria," and the ''Texas
Cattle Fever.'

DETROIT, November 13.-The American
Public Health Association began its
eleventh annual meeting in this city to-
day, the president, DIR. Ezra NJ. Hunt, of
New York, in the chair. The attendance
OF members was large, delegates being
present from nearly every State in the
Union and Canada, and the United States
army and navy. A majority of the men
are well known in sanitary matters, OF are
officers of State boards of health and mu-
nicipal health bodies. The session began
with prayer by Bishop Harris, of Michi-
gan. After the formal report of the secre-
tary and treasurer and standing commit
tees the regular programme of papers was
entered upon.
DIR. w. Z. Lalmon, of the Department
of Agriculture, Washington, read paper
on Texas cattle fever. He took strong
ground in favor of the existence of the
disease belt in the Southern States, from
which it is dangerous to export cattle, and
contested the conclusions of Col. Joseph
Smith, OF the army, medical director of
the department of Texas, that Texas cattle
fever is chimera.
He was followed by DIR. Rauch, of the
Illinois State Board of Health, and DIR.
Hillary, of Texas. The latter supported
his opinion of the contagiousness of this
disease.
DR.. J. M. Hartridge, of South Bend,
Ind, advanced similar views in a paper
respecting the swine plague, or hog chol-
era, which has prevailed since 1878.
He was followed by paper on Disease
Among Swine and Grain-Eating Cattle,
Known as Swell-Head," by DIR. Bilford, of
Chicago, who attributed it to a microscopic
fungus plant called actinomyees.
Prof. Law, of Cornell Universities
claimed that the disease was not a recent
discovery in America, but had been long
known under various other names, such
as hard tongue. He also asserted that it
was not restricted to grain-eatlng animals,
but affected dogs, among others.
AT THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
Surgeon George NJ. Sternburg, United
States army, read a paper on the etiology
of malaria. He presented statistical tables
tending to prove that the cause oil malaria
formed in impure water infected with de-
composing vegetable matter, and that the
disease is aggravated by heat. The facts
showed that 1t is much more prevalent in
the Southern than in the Northern States.
A paper by Surgeon A. A. Woodruff,
United States army, on the Geological as
soclatlon OF organic matter with malaria
was read by DIR. Ames, the secretary. He
took the same view to DIR. Sternburg as to
the cause of malaria.
Surgeon Charles Smart, of the United
States army, followed with paper ON the
prevention of malarial disease The only
practical remedy suggested was purifica-
ton of impure drinking water, and adopt
ing means to purify the streams, wells and
cisterns used by the people for supplies.
In the evening Gov. Begole gave an adj
dress of welcome to the association on be-
half of the State; DIR. VIM. Brodie, of this
city, on behalf of Detroit; DR.. John Avery,
president of the State Board of Health, on
behalf of that body. A conversation fol-
lowed, lasting two hours.