Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-01
be placed in it to educate the people on this
question.
NO POLITICS IN HYGIENE

! Europe and the treatment of it.
He thought that all water used fol-
dietetic purposes should be boiled be-
fore being used. In speaking of the
| sanitary condition of country homes
DIR. Piper said that the vineclad summer
homes of the country about whose beauties
poets raved were as a rule more unhealthy
than city homes, as they are often built over
damp cellars, the rooms are low with but
one window, and the ventilation therefore
bad. The remedy was to build the country
home with large and comfortable rooms,
shade trees at proper distance from the
house; the well and outhouses SO situated
that there could be no contamination; eel
lars eemented, and to entend under the en-
tire house, and temporary awnings instead
of permanent porches.
HEALTH IN VILLAGE HOMES.
Henry B. Baker, NJ. D., Secretary of the
State Board of Health of Michigan, was
next introduced, and read a paper on ga
Plea for Public Health Work in Villages. 4"
He started out by saying that, when a fire
breaks out in a country village, everybody
turns out to help the fire department put the
fire out, and they work with all strength
and energy to save the goods and the build
ings; but when dangerous epidemic breaks
out, threatening to destroy many lives, there
is no such rush to render aid and assistance.
Now, is it not of more importance to save
human life than property? 1t is known
fact that villages. will spend thousands of
dollars to maintain fire department and
the spend little or nothing on a health
board. Take the average village of 2, 800 in
habitants and they have an average of 50
deaths per year. and most of these are
caused by diphtheria, scarlet fever and
typhoid fever.
Seventy-fve per cent of deaths from these
diseases can be prevented if properly looked
after; that is, by isolation and disinfection
of persons and things in houses where the
diseases are located. But in order to do
this, villages must take as much care of the
health department as they do Of the FIRE de-
partment. 1t will cost some money, but
more would be saved by the saving of the
lives of the inhabitants.
Inspectors have lot of work to do there
should be house to house inspections at
stated intervals, and the inspectors should
have good knowledge of the germs of
disease. Isolation is the best thing for peo-
pie suffering from communicable diseases.
People in villages must be taught the
danger of epidemics; then they will be more
ready to help the inspectors, and 1t is my
sincere hope that every village in Pennsyl-
vania will employ its best physician as
sanitary adviser and health officer.
ADULTERATIoN OF FOOD.
A paper on '"The Kings Evil' was to
have been read by George Robe, NJ. D., of
Baltimore, Nd, but he was not present, and
Percy f. Smith, of this city, who was to
have read paper at the afternoon session,
but was unavoidably absent, was next in
troduced and read paper on "Adultera-
tion of Food and Drugs"
Mr.. Smith stated that statistics show that
the average cost of food per week for an in
dividual in the United States is only 81 go,
and that it would be natural to suppose,
therefore, that every manufacturer of food
in this country would honestly endeavor to
provide for the masses nothing but pure
food. Aside from special articles, such as
condiments, or so-called fruit, jellies, color
ing matter used in candies, syrups for soda
water, etc., adulteration of food is not
largely sanitary question. In these there
is danger; in other articles it is purely a
commercial question.
The most prominent adulteration is the
use of salisylic acid as preservatiye, which,
according to the best information, has been
prohibited in both Germany and France
and should be in the United States.
CONGRESS TO TAKE A HAND.
This thing of adulteration will 60 on
until Congress passes stringent laws prohib-
iting it altogether. The speaker favored
the control of the matter by the State Board
of Health.
What is wanted in the United States is
stringent law to be supplemented by State
law, State and local Boards of Health with
police powers, an inspector or analyst In
every Congressional district, and the CO.
IF hoAo Ia ofT1 fo riO 1ryI
enforce the laws relating to adulteration, no
matter in what form it may exist.
The greatest danger to the health of the
people in the way of impure food is from
the sale of adulterated and impure milk, and
to this adulteration is due one-ffth of the
deaths among children. The speaker fur
nished statistics to show the great anultera-
ton in drugs. He called attention to the
law recently passed by the Legislature of
compelling milk dealers to give !
bonds that they furnish only pure
milk. He further said that while Congress
has closed the doors against infectious
diseases Of all kinds it has left them wide
open toiadulterated food of all kinds.
TAKE CARE OF THE POOR.
The adulteration of food affects the Door
class principally land investigation shows |
that it is in small packages that the greatest |
amount of adulteration is found, and it is
his class of goods that reaches the poor, who |
nave but limited means. The speaker said |
hat the State is acknowledged as the |
guardian of the public health and this con-
session should settle the question as to who
should be empowered to enforce health laws.
Mr.. Smith concluded his address by say
ng that he was glad thatthe human stomach |
vas beginning to be recognized and that it
will become aleading topic as soon as the
,etter class of our citizens realize what a
rhine is wrought upon the poor.
Mr.. Smith interspersed his address with
humorous and laughable incidents and at
is conclusion was generously applauded.
A vote of thanks was unanimously ten
Tered to the gentlemen who read the papers
# the evening and the meeting adjourned.
A conference Of the inspectors of the State
Board OF Health will be held this morning