St. Paul daily globe., 1893-07-12


neglect any precaution which offers an
increase of safety.
The essential fact is that the infection
of this disease grows and is
Distributed by Human Defects,
that, like its near relative, Enteric
Qyphoid) fever, it finds its most rapid
growth and malignancy in filth, and in
crowded and unhealthy localities: that
tits attracted by a foul water supply,
and by foul soil, and attacks persons
weakened by such surroundings and by
the attacks of other disease.
This lesson health officers have taught
IN season and out of season because the
same influences operate for the prOduc-
ton of other diseases. notably the sum-
mer diarrh9a of children, anu Enteric
fever, two causes of sickness ana death
most active i'll summer and fall in our
state.
This board has lost no opportunity to
impress this LESSON upon the people of
this state, and the local boards have
done the same. The May sanitary in
spection has been more thorough in
many places than heretofore, but not
in all, and now is the time to enforce
the changes which it shows are needed.
To remove the debris of streets, ashes,
manure and the like is commendable
and needtul. but to neglect the "hOle in
the ground" prlvy and ceSSpool, is to
leave the choicest selections of these
diseases for breeding places and to in
vlte the very evils which we all claim to
be endeavOring to prevent.
Smallpox has an unusual prevalence
abroad, and is partially epidemic in En-
gland. The cause is the neglect of vac
cination and revaccination, for the need
and usefulness of which their present.
outbreaks are convincing evidence.
Seventy per cent Of the school children
OF this state are unvaccinated, and
much large proportion of children
under five years of age. This board
will be negleclng its duty if it fails to
use every influence TO induce the more
frequent use of this simple means of
preventing disease which is particu-
larly fatal in childhood, and which may
occur years after a successful vaccina-
ton. There is need that local boards
insist upon evidence of successful vac
cnatiOn for admission to the public
schools, as is now done by the school
boards of some of our cities. The board
has
Provided "a Pure Vaccine
cultivated with every precauton for
purity and efficiency. 1t has now been
used i'll several thousands of cases with
perfect success, and has recently served ]
when other vaccines failed in the small
poX camp in Winnipeg, SO that there is no
more excuse that reliable vaccine is not
available. Smallpox is appearing
among Immigrants at the seaboard with
more than usual frequency, ana adds
another evidence, il one is needed, that
vaccination should become a common
practice as the only real means of safety
against virulent and fatal disease.
l am glad to be able to report that /
have succeeded in obtaining from the
bureau of animal industry of the agri-
cultural department a supply of tuber-
culin for the diagnosis of tuberculosis
OF cattle, particularly of milch cows,
and of mallein for the diagnosis OF
CHAMBERS in horses. TIE last is coming
into rapid use, and has already materi-
ally assisted in the discovery of that
lnSiGeOuS and infectious disease. This
board Is able at present to furnish
either agent for the use of local board,
who will use aS directed and report re-
suits. 1t is desirable that tuberculin
should be used in the selection of cows
for public dairieS, as it is harmless to
the healthy animal, but detects ;uber-
culOsis where all other means have
hitherto failed. 1t seems to me adyiSa-
bic to use portion of the infectious
diseases of domestic animals, and to
encourage this method of detecting a
disease which sends its infection
through the milk of infected animals to
its users, particularly infants and young
children.
Rabies of domestic animals has been
frequently reported of late, and the fear
of the disease has caused much distress
and anxiety. | have Investigated all
outbreaks reported by the Pasteur
method, when necessary, but have failed
to be able to demonstrate the existence
of the disease. The PaSteur treatment
of rabies has now demonstrated its
value beyond dispute, and there is no
other reason but the necessary expense
why there should not be provided means
for its use in our state. The call for it
is not frequent enough to Justify pri-
vate institutions for its use, but it could
be made a part of the work of our vac
cine station at moderate expense, and
Thus Furnish Relief
to the real or suspected sufferers from
this horrible disease. Its use is harm-
less to the well, and would be justified
If only to do away with the horrible
dread of its presence, which Its long
period of Incubation, at times, makes
almost worse than death.
u IL is proper that l should report to the
board that arrangements have been
made whereby the instruction in public
HSdiIil dI Llc university VIII DS UuOC6
extensive and thorough than has hith-
erto been possible. Instruction is now
provided for each of the classes so that
it includes the study of personal health.
that of the home, the community, the
state, and the principles of national
and international public health. The
object is to supply the educated man
and woman with such knowledge of the
subject as shall enable them to take an
intelligent interest i'll its use, and make
them helpers to the official service
wherever they may be.
1t is time that educated people took
this interest and shared the RESPONSE
bility which belongs To knowledge, and
it is not too much for this board to ask
the normal schools and high schools to
follow the example of the university,
and make the study of public health an
obligatory study in place of the present
study in anatomy and physiology, with
hygiene as slender appendix.
The sanitary regulation of offensive
trades is assuming more and more i'm
portance with the growth of the cent erS
OF our population. Winona has set
good example to other centers in this
respect in the obligatory establishment
of public abbatoir, which has. further
more, proven an economy Tor the butch
erS, and has removed the nuisance of
the individual slaughter of animals for
food. l ask the board to take such
steps as are needed to bring this subject
into popular notice. DR.. Staples, it's
president, has promised paper on the
subject for Public Health, the official
organ of the board.
have made arrangements for an ex-
hibit of the work of the public health
| service of Minnesota in the sanitary eX-
hibt of the worlds fair. Our location
is next to that of Massachusetts and
Pennsylvania. The space assigned is
limited, but sufficient to show what is
being done in the state. The exhibit
consists of sample volumes, copies of
our registers of vital statistics and the
work incidental thereto, the results of
the nhIipatnrY notification of infactinns