Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-17
CAUSES OF DISEASE
Establishment Of a Sanitary Expert
ment Station Advocated.
10 Be LOCATED IN this CITY
Prof. Hird Explains Some Of the
Benefits That Will Follow.
ABLE INFORMATION

At the last meeting of the East Wash |
ington Citizens Association, a report of
which appeared in The Star, Prof Hurd OF
the health office read an interesting paper
advocating the establishment here OF
national sanitary experiment station. "A
brief abstract of this address was printed
at the time. There were, hoWeVer, seVerai
features of the address the public interest
in which warrants more EXTENDED notlce.
He spoke of the agricultural experiment
stations established in every state, ana
said that they performed valuable SER
vice as educators CT the people dependent
upon the cultivation of the soil for their
livelihood In the same way, he SAID,
sanitary experiment station would De
center of influence that would do much to-
ward enlightening the public mind IN re-
gard to the causes of disease. He cited IN
Illustration the case of typhoid FEVER cpl
denies.
I'm the report of the state board of
health of Michigan for 1884, he said. DE-:
Kellogg calls attention to the conf1ct OF
opinion existing as to whether typnoiu
fever is communicable from men to ami
mails and from animals to men. NO atten-
ton is given to the drinking water OF ami
mails. Wells and polluted streams when
good enough for cattle. If typhoid fever
may be communicated to animals, this
may be very common origin OF some out
breaks of typhoid fever; or even II ahlnais
have an immunity from this disease, yet,
fer all we know, the germs may pass
through the animal without losing their
dsease-producing powers, and thus cause
the disease to spread
I'm this connection, Dr. Vaughn of Michi-
gan, who is leading authority on the sub
ject, believes that the common water bac-
terra takes on vfrulont action under special
conditions and causes typhoid fever. If
this theory Is true, then 1t becomes neces-
sary to learn what those special conditions
are.
THAT this belief is shared by others to a
certain extent is shown q by statement
from Henry Lehman, NJ D., PhD, good
authority on water, who states that bac-
THEOLOGICAL analysis is not or much Vaiue
in determining the purity of given sample
of water. Why? Because the germs that
are today harmless may under special con-
ditions become injurious tomorrow.
But again, to quote from the same re-
port above referred to, we find this state
ment: The most general mode of spreading
typhoid fever is probably by contamina-
ticn of the water supply. from wells, etc,
by the teaching from privies. drains, etc,
but there are instances in which
the disease seems to spread through the
air. The conditions under which this oc-
ours are not well Known Experiments on
this subject are needed to demonstrate the
Disease Germs and Bread.
water and milk have for a long time
been bearing the brunt of the burden as
the source of many diseases, and undoubt-
edly they deserve all the censure that has
been heaped upon them, while the bread
that we daily consume has entirely escaped
observation. The reason for this lies in
the superstition that no matter what the
condition of the dough may be- baking Will
destroy any disease germs. Wnether or
not this supposition is true so far as 1T re-
lates to bread sold and consumed i'll this
country, do not know, ncr do l know OF
any Investigations that have been made in
this country relative to the same. AS the
result of some Investigations conducted in
England recently by DR.. Waldo. medical
officer of health to ST. Georges South
wark, and David Walsh, assistant physi-
clan in the Western Skin Hospital, Lon
don, for the purpose of determining
whether or not the baking of bread act
ually destroys the various germs with
which the dough is likely to come in con-
| tact, the conclusion was reached that bak-
| ing did not necessarily destroy these
germs.
About Scarlet Fever.
"There are several theories the speaker
stated, "as to the origin of scarlet fever,
| one of which is that the primary cause Of
| the outbreak is infection from some pre-
| ceding case, and another that it arises de
| novo, having an apparent spontaneous orr
| gin in any position in which the elements
required for it's development are brought
| together and then exposed to the proper
! physical conditions and influences neces-
! sary to its growth.
| "One thing is, however, very certain and
| that Is that scarlet fever is less amenable
| to prophylactic measures than other con-
| ia gious diseases. The question naturally
| arises as to why this is so, and the reason
| must evidently be found in the fact that
| we know less regarding this disease than
| we do of most of the others, and are
| therefore, unable to make use of the proper
| methods for it's prevention. 1t seems tC
me that it is time that we did know some
| be employed for the prevention of this and
| other diseases. but before this knowledge
| can be obtained We must know something
| of the primary causes of disease.
| "Dr. Stickler of Orange, N. j., who is
| perhaps, one of the most voluminouS writ
ers on the subject. has frequently within
the past few years reported the result OF
| his observations concerning the causative
| relations of scarlet fever to milk from
| cows suffering with the peculiar symptoms
| scarcely observable, of an eruptive affec
| ton of the udder, and to milk from herd:
| where scarlet fever exists in the family Of
| the dairyman. In the N. Y. Med. Record
| fer 1890 We find an article by DR.. Srickle
| on the foot and mouth disease in relation
to human scarlatina. in which appear:
! some interesting statistics.
"In February, 1854, a remarkable out
| break of sore throat occurred in Dover
| England, which was due to the drinking O.
| milk from cows affected with foot ant
| mouth disease. Two hundred and five wer,
| attacked. The cases of foot and mouth
| disease reported officially in England in
| creased from 81, 600 in 1889 to 10000 in 1888
and following this large increase there wa
a large increase of diphtheria, the deaths
alone in England and Wales numbering
| 1,27O He also goes on to treat of tn
subjec. of foot and mouth disease
prophylactic in it's relation to scarlet fever
one or two instances of which l will men
ton.
Tooth and Mouth Disease.
'Three members of the same family VIII
had not previously contracted scarlet fever
contracted the foot and mouth diseas
from milk. Three members of the sam
family who had had the scarlet fever es
capped the foot and mouth disease. A chill
who had never had scarlet fever, had in
jected under the skin a quarNity of tn
virus taken from COW with foot an
mouth disease; a snort time after the Gel
| vical glands enlarged. After six or seVe