El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-06
To Be Erected By Govern
ment Recommended BY
President Mathews
STARTLING STATISTICS
tuberculosis Causes One
Third Of All Deaths Bet
ween Ages Of Fif-
teen And Sixty.

COLUMBUS, O.. June Cone Thousand
physicians representing all sections OF
the country and all regular schools OF
medicine thronged the Grand opera
house this morning at the opening OF
the fiftieth, or semi-centennial copven-
tion of the American Medical Assocta-
tion. The proceedings began at sten
O'Clock with an offering of prayer by
Rev. Washington GLADDEN.. Govern
or Bushnell extended a hearty well
come to the visitors and the freedom OF
the city WAS rendered by Mayor Swar-
ty.
The annual address of President
Joseph NJ. Mathews, of Louisville, was
listened to with marked attention by
the large audience, and twas frequently
punctuated by loud applause. After
considering the work and future OF the
association and urging upon the dele
gates the advisability of selecting
Washington or some other desirable
city as apermanent headquarters of the
association. DIR. Mathews had the fol-
lowing to say concerning tuberculosis
and the efforts now being made to pre-
vent the growth and spread of the
dread disease.
SIT behooves this national body of
American physicians to take some &C
tion, or at least to approve the move
ment to stamp out, as far as scientific
efforts can do go, that dread disease
that kills one-seventh of the worlds
popula ulation-tuberculosis A few days
ago, May 24-27, there was held tuber-
culosis congress in Berlin, internation-
al in character. The Liverpool Medt-
cal institution, one of the most impor-
tant medical societies in England. has
recently appointed q committee OF its
membe to consider what further
steps can be taken for the prevention
of tuberculosis, and for the treatment
of the disease in the human subject.
This committee proposes to consider
W the nature of pulmonary tubercul-
osis, it's commanicability and preven-
liability; (2) the provision of sanatoria: 4:
(3) the mere effectual methods of con-
trolling the spread of infection, and
a. the desirability of adopting some
form of hotifcation. The eradication
of bovine tuberculosis received DOW
erful stimulus throughout the empire
when recently her majesty the queen
gave orders to have killed such of her
herd of Jerseys as were shown by the
tuberculosis test to be infected.
sat the recent meeting of the French
association for the Advancement Oh
Science, the section of hygiene, at the
suggestion of Professor Nicholas, pass
ed resolution pointing out that the
convention of tuberculosis by inhala-
tion is only one of the modes OF in
fection, and that larger part of the
infusion of the disease is played by
contagion through the alimentsry
canal, as proved experimentally and
clinically, urging the necessity OF
taking adequate measures to insure the
sterilization and harmlessness OF
articles of food. All Europe is wide
awake to the Importance of this
subject.
"From carefully prepared statistics
it ia found that of the deaths from all
causes between the ages of fifteen and
sixty years. one third of the number
are victims of tuberculosis, and that it
kills four and half times as many
people as do smallpox. scarlet fever,
typhoid fever and diptheria combined.
1t is estimated that at any given time
in Germany alone 1,3OO, 900 persons are
affected with tuberculosis, and Osler
says that l, 200, 900 in America have
the disease at all times. Over $4,000
die of tuberculosis in the state of New
York every year. In every American
city the proportion OF deaths is equally
as great.
$50 important has this subject be-
come that at recent convention held
in England to consider the question,
''how to prevent the spread of con-
SUMPTION the crown was represented
by his royal highness the prince of