St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-09-06

Distinguished Men-Most Inn
portant Question Discussed
Was the ESTABLISHMENTS Of Ma
tionaI Control orPubIic Health
WASHINGTON, Sept. 5.-The weather
was perfect for the opening exercises of
the first pan-American medical congress
this morning. Albaugh's opera house
was well filed and the stage completely
occupied by distinguished guests from
abroad. Among those noted were Ernest
Hart and wife, from London; DR.. Grant
hey, of Cairo, Egypt; j. W. Ross, pres
ident of The district commissioners; DR..
John c. Phillips, of Jamaica; Hon. j. 3.
McCreary, or Kentucky; DR.. Juan I'll
loa, OF Costa Rica, and others.
Promptly at l o'clock the band of the
Fourth artillery began Hail the Chief"
aad President Cleveland, with Rt. Rev.
William Paret, bishop of Maryland, es-
cOrted by DR.. William Pepper, of Phila
deIphia. the president of the congress,
entered.
Bishop Paret invoked the blessing on
those assembled, and then President
Cleveland spoke as follows:
The part assigned me OH this occa-
sion admits of few words. 1t. however
affords me the opportunity to say how
pleased 1 am to be in any way related
to an assemblage such as this, called
together in furtherance of the highest
and noblest purposes and desires. l
hope l may also be permitted to add
that the protection OF the public health
and the prevention of contagious dis
eases are objects properly brought
under consideration at the capital of a
nation which appreciates fully the
serious Importance OF everything which
aids IN making intercourse between
CIVILIZED COUNTRIES
and commerce between them safe and
easy. Applause. 1t is also fitting that
those who devote themselves to saving
human life and the alienation of
human suffering should consider the
modes of reaching these benedeent ends
at the seat of government. whose great
est regard is the welfare and happiness
OF the individual citizen. Applause.
1t only remains for me to declare this
congress of the pan-American congress
of the medical society open for the
transaction OF business which has called
it together"
The occasion was one of great inter-
est, as it is President CleYeland's first
official appearance since his return
from Gray Gables.
Speeches of welcome were then made
by DR.. ). ). Adams, chairman of the
Washington reception committee. and
by j. w. Ross for the District of Column
bia. DR.. William Pepper, the preSi-
dent. then delivered the welcome OF the
congress to its foreign guests. and he
was followed by addresses from foreign
representatives Other remarks were
made by Hon. j. 3. McCreary, OF Ken
lucky. 10 whose zeal is greatly due the
appropriation Of S15, 0O0 for the congress,
and by Dr. j. (. Hibbard, the president
of the American Medical association.
Reports were made by DR.. c. a. l..
Reed. Of Cincinnati, the secretary
general. and Dy DR.. S. s. Adams, of
Washington. The general address OF
the day was delivered by Prof. Fran
cisco a. RisqueZ, of Caracas, Vene-
Zuela. on American plants and their de-
rivative drug products. 1t was quite
technical. but finished with a splendid
plea tor an international study Of drug
action and uniticati0n of system con-
corning their action ana doses.
THIS CONGRESS
ought to be called the international con-
gresS of hygiene, national quarantine
and education; such are the subjects to
be discussed for the next four days. Bv
tar the most important work today was
done at the meeting held in the Grand
Army hall, DR.. A. l. Gihon. medical
director of the United States navy, in
the chair. The subject attracting the
most attention was the establishment of
national scientific control of public
health, as will be seen below.
n a
dealing chiefly with the necessities OF
hygione. Why, he said, should war be
represented by minister to control
large armies. when the little microbe
has no officer empowered to look after
his determination; forty years ago
sanitary science in the navy was ig-
! nOred. The army and navy are begin
ming now to pay great attention to
hygiene, but civil authorities as yet dis
regard all such rules and principles. If
cholera be declared in place, then, at
last. attempts are made TO stamp it out.
but why lock the door after the horse is
stolen? No; use sanitary science to
prevent disease. not merely to cure it.
The section must declare its opinion
firmly that government support is
needed. Public health is of national
Importance, and not till the nation
| authorizes as powerful official interfer-
| ence as the army and navy now exer-
| else will public health be properly
cared for. Kill tuberculosis by regulat-
| ing the disease and its victim through
| state control; can a nation call itself
| civilized as long as disease can thus run
| unchecked? We must have government
authority. The present city
SANITATION IS a FARCE
municipal cleanliness a ludicrous
| shame. Effective sanitation. costly as
! II may be, Is cheap compared to the cost
| of single epidemic. He could revel in
! sanitary horror did it seem necessary to
! shock the public INTO realization of its
! present needs. Nineteen thousand mi
crObeS Of diphtherIa, scarlet fever ana
tuberculosis have been found III single
bank note. La grippe is spread by the
beasts who spit on the floor. Cholera is
10 worse than syphilis, not so bad. for
! its germ can be Ouly drunk or eaten.
Syphilis can travel on its own metal ana
is hard to kill.
The doctors aresall right. The fools
are the public. Immigration is huge
! DeStllential sewer, COMMUNICATING our
! once pure lake of American people.
Facts show that II per cent of the poDu-
latiUn is foreign, while over 30 per cent
of the Inhabitants of our asyiumS and
hospitals is foreign. The race is diving
out. Our American women bear no
more children. Who is 70 take their
place? Americans no longer nurse
their young. How can we prevent il?
Give US a national scientific body, and
the cure, the betternent of our race
| viii soon follow. After this. Or. {. G..
COmegyS. of Cincinnati. read his address
OH The Proper status of the Medical
Profession in the Government of Ma
lions" lie demanded a
NATIONAL. RECOGNITION
of hygienic control and national board
of health.
Congress has now before It a bill to
establish a department of public health.
The whole world should give eneour-
agememt 10 it. DE-. Glhon introduced
the following resolution:
Resolved, That 1t is the Opiuion of the
section of hvgiene. climatnluyY ar.n