The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-06-13

Dangerous Physicians.-The following ar
ticle is taken form the Sanitary Engineer, of
May %, 1885: "The dangers to health which are
due to ignorant and careless plumbers have been
much insisted on of late years architects have
received their share of criticism for the want of
attention to ventilation and other sanitary re-
quirements which their plans not unfrequently
display; merchants are reproved for adulteration
of food, for desiring to import rags as cheaply as
possible and for protesting against the detentons
| of quarantine, and manufactures are solemnly
| warned of the evils which they causing by the
pollution fstreams and the production of effluvum
| nuisances-but the possibilities of the causaton
| of disease through want of knowledge or dsre-
| gard of well-known precautions on the part OF
| physicians do not seem to have received the at
| tention which they deserve.
| "The possibility of the conveyance of contagion
from one family to another by the doctor has, it
is true, been occasionally commented on, and it
| is now well recognized rule in the profession,
| based on the sad experience of former years, to
avoid labor when one has cases of puerperal
fever erysipelas in his practice; but there are
| still too many physicians who will go directly
from case of scarlet fever to another house con-
tanning children without taking any special pre-
cautions, and they may do this even while insist
ing on careful isolation of the scarlet fever patient
| and not even allow him to be visited by play
mate who has had the disease.
"There are also physicians who pay entirely too
little attention to the isolation of parents suffer-
ing from contagious diseases; whose sole thought
seems to be the treatment of the case, without
reference to the prevention of evil effects to others,
and whose ideas about disinfection are exceed
ingly vague and hasty that one may be pardoned
for suspecting that they know very little about
the recent advances in our knowledge on this
subject.
"There are even few doctors-tot the honor of
the profession, be it said, there are but few-who
are so Indifferent to the public welfare when this
seems to conflict with the patients interests or
Wishes as to be willing to aid In the concealment
of the existence of disease dangerous to the
community
at is perfectly true that the great mass of the
medical profession are the best friends of public
sanitation, that to them is due largely not only
the discovery of the of the disease but the
teaching of the people to their prevention, and
| that the majority do insist upon precautions be-
ing taken to prevent the spread of disease, or to
prevent its recurrence in house which they have
reason to think is in bad sanitary condition. But
this is not the case with all of them-more is the
pity.
"In our editorial of last week on the Plymouth
epidemic allusion made to the report that
the physician who attended the first case, which
seems to have been the cause of all the others,
gave as an excuse for this want of attention to the
proper disposal of the dangerous excreta, that he
did not know that the stream running by the
house was a source of water supply. This is the
old story, che didn't know it was loaded" 1t is
the business of o physician to know what is done
with the excreta Of typhoid fever or cholera
case, or with clothing or bedding soiled by them;
he ought to know that they are dangerous; if he
does not know this he is unfit to practice his pro-
fession and knowing it he must be held respon-
sible for not having warned the people. COM
munity has the right to demand of its physicians
that they shall use their knowledge for the pre-
vention as we'll as the cure of disease, and it has
a right to demand that they shall possess the
knowledge which they claim to have by the mere
fact of offering their services physicians.
awe have been slow to recognize this right in
this country, but in few States the principle is
established that a man claiming to be physician
must give satisfactory evidence of his qualiica
tions to practice, and in Illinois one of these
qualifications is required to be graduation at a
school in which hygiene forms part of the course
of instruction. 1t is true that this is not very
satisfactory evidence that he is properly instruc
ted in preventive medicine, but it is long step
in advance, and if other States would only do
their duty as well it would be vast improvement
on the present condition of things.
meantime our readers will do well to note the
amount of attention which their own physicians
give to the prevention as well as to the treatment
of diseases, for in this, in many other things,
the mercantile adage holds good that "demand
creates supply"
The Pikesville Arsenal.-A few days ago a
reporter of the Baltimore Herald interviewed
military man and aked the question "What good
is the Arsenal at Pikesville to the Slater" "At
present it isn't particle of good" was the reply.
at is not of even as much benefit as the most
insignificant corner of land owned by private
citizen, for the latter pays some taxes upon his
property. Not cent of revenue, l believe, is
derived by the State from the Is acres of land
which the old arsenal grounds comprise. In fact,
the Adjutant General and the Board of Public
Works seem totally unconscious of the fact that
the State the arsenal, or even that the place
exists. 1t is occupied now by man who runs a
summer resort, and doesn't have to pay cent of
rent.
"The arsenal, perhaps you know" continued
the speaker "was established by the United States
Government in 1915 In 1873 Congress passed
an act authorizing the gift of the entire property
to the State of Maryland for the use of the State
militia such other purposes as the necessities
of the State might require, provided the arsenal
be accepted on or before March l, 1880. The
Legislature passed an act in 1880, accepting the
gift and on June 80 of that year the property
was transferred. Colonel Daniel A. Fenton. was
put in charge Of the arsenal by Governor Hamil-
ton and Adjutant- General Watkins He occupied
the establishment and looked after it for two
years, receiving from the State $50 month.
"About this time Samuel B. Mettam, of the
Sd district of Baltimore county, man of some
political influence, as may be judged from the
fact that he holds the Office of justice of the peace
and auctioneer under appointment By the Cover
nor, conceived notion that Dan Fenton had too
soft Snap He convinced Adjutant- General
Watkins that it was q waste of State funds to pay
for the care of the arsenal, and told the Adjutant
General that he would look after the place for
nothing. Accordingly, Mettam appointed
Colonel Fenton's successor in June, 1882 Since
that time Mettam has used the arsenal as board
I'M hon in he and. dOubtless. has
derived nice little income from the same. The
property, as have said, includes 10 acres, of
which at least eight or nine acres are arabic.
There are plenty of grape vines and fruit trees
apple, pear and cherry, and Mettam has had the
benefit of them all. The building will accom-
modate 600 men. 1t is on the edge of Pikesville,
eight miles from Baltimore on the Reisterstown
turnpike"
"And the State hasn't turned hand to utilize
the arsenal?"
"Evidently not. If the place were rented out
for the use to which it is now put some five or
six hundred dollars at least could be derived
annually. If the land is not going to be used for
militia purposes, it would be an excellent site for
some charitable Institution. 1t is absurd to allow
it to remain idle, far the State is concerned
simply to benefit one man. 1t would make an
excellent place for State militia encampment.
It would, perhaps, infuse some new life into the
National Guard if all the military organizations
of the State annually to gather at the arsenal
If for nothing else, it could at least be used to
establish a rife-range. If the State wishes to
maintain a State boarding establishment, why
does not Adutant- General Howard let it out to
the highest bidder"
Shut Down on the Home Company
The Beair Democrat of last week says: "The
Board of School Commissioners, at their meeting
on Tuesday, passed an order instructing their
Secretary to notify the Mutual Fire Insurance
Company of Hartford county that on the first of
next January the School Board will withdraw oil
its insurance upon school houses from the COM
pany. This action of the Board has been taken
because the Fire Insurance Company has declined
to pay the full amount of $500 insurance on La
Grange school house, which was destroyed by fire
several months ago. The officers of the company
say they have had estimates from competent
mechanics who offer to give bond to restore the
building the walls of which are standing, for $3.50
with a single roof, or $500 with slate roof
| The company are willing to either replace the
building or pay to the School Commissioners $500.
The building was octagonal in shape and the
| School Board desire to change the form of it
nv tb;rt tbat in view of the largo amounk of