The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-23


medical schools to provide students
with an intimate knowledge of strange
and virulent diseases which exist for
the most part only in the torrid zone
In fact, the study of tropical dieases
will now be given a prominent place in
the curriculum of our universities.
Several colleges have already taken
steps in this direction. Johns Hopkins
has gone to the extent of sending a
commission composed of several doc
tors and students to the far east for
the purpose of obtaining information
concerning these diseases.
Not only have the United States
awakened to the Importance of this
need, but other countries are taking up
the matter as well. England has es-
tablished two colleges for the study of
tropical disease, one in London and the
other in Liverpool. Germany is es-
tablishing a school which Will be I'M
der the direction of Professor Koch.
Italy already has taken up the subject
in the study Of malaria. Perhaps the
work OF these new schools will be more
in the line of investigation than in the
imparting of knowledge, for it is ad-
mitted that comparatively little is
known of the maladies with which the
inhabitants of the tropics are compelled
TO cope. Heretofore there has been no
very great need Of nations situated in
the more temperate climates taking up
the subject. The work is therefore
entirely new. But the field of research
IS fascinating and offers many attrac-
tons TO investigators. Perhaps it is for
this reason that so many are enter
ing it. England has long recognized
the need of such a school, because of
her Indian possessions, and sporadic eff
how laraar 4
OF the diseases with which the Hindoo
has been afflicted. Still the subject
has never been systematized as it now
viii be-
The Liverpool school OF tropical med
fclne was recently opened by Lord Lis
ter as a result of the advocacy of Jo-
Seph Chamberlain. Its present home is
IN the Royal Southern hospital, and
1t includes a twelve-bed ward and
laboratory. Major Ronald Ross of the
indian medical service has been ap-
pointed special lecturer. illustrating
his remarks by lantern slides and dia-
grams, with reference to cases in the
ward. He is was who recently made
startling disclosures concerning the
spread of malaria through the agency
of the mosquito.
The twelve beds in the ward already
are filled. The countries represented
are China, India. United States. Nor
way, Sweden, Russia, Finland, Eng
land and Ireland, and the diseases from
which the patients suffer were con-
tracted in Java, India, Brazil, southern
United States, Farcados. Old Calibar.
Bemn and Cape Coast CistIe, the hast
four places being on the coast of
Africa Several of these patients were
sailors, and as they brought their all
ments directly from the tropics into the
temperate zone, the need of special |
q 10 moo will h.
The London hospital will be on the |
Albert docks, and it will not only at
tempt the study and the cure of trop- !
1cal diseases, but it will provide for the |
instruction of nurses to be sent into the |
tropics. In fact, the English physic- |
lans have been thoroughly aroused |
by the recent ravages of disease in the |
Indian army. 1t is more to be dreaded !
than bullets The British secretary OF |
war reports that in the Tirah cam |
palgn, a recent frontier expedition. 900
men were admitted to the hospital on /
account OF wounds, while !, 100 We're ad-
united on account Of disease. There
We're 100 deaths from wounds and GOO
from tropical disease. This dispropor-
ton becomes the more significant when
II IS pointed out that the wounds of
the convalescents generally cease to
trouble them entirely after a time
While the disease is apt to remain in
the system, periodically affecting the
solder during the remainder of his
The Johns Hopkins intention. how
ever viii be more thorough than the
English. The hospital in RaltimOra
VIII be under the charge of Professor
William Osler, and it will be operated
Ike the London and Liverpool institu-
IONS, Dut the commission which has
gone TO the far east will pursue special
ines of investigation, transmitting the
knowledge obtained to the parent ,
school, so that the courses in the COL
eye may be more intelligently pur-
'ued. The commission started from
Ihlcago several months ago. and is
lIfeady at work in the field It is
Composed Of Professor Simon Flexnor
Il the pathological department in {
ohns Hopkins, Joseph NJ Faint and 7
frederick P. Gay. medical students of
shicago and Boston respectively. and Y
Ohm w. Garrett of Baltimore. They
VII visit Yokohama and Kobe in t
apan, Shanghai, Hongkong and Singa- '
'ore in China, Colombo and neighbor- G
ng points. But their most important )
YORK VIII be done in the Philippines.
Ihere they will study the causes ac- t
ION ana results of the strange diseases Q
.hlch exist under tropical conditions. c
he dissemination OF disease and meth d
as Tor It's prevention will BE the i'm S
! l
eek 10 prove the claims of Alfred Rus i
Ell wallace, the Englishman, who Il
Ter an experience of many wears S
tates positively that all white men
lay i've IN the tropics with irnpunity. V
mr.. wallace says the trouble is not I
'lIh the climate, but with diseases j!
men are the result of unsanitaryy .
oholuons such as prevailed in Europe b
century ago. IF we take che great /
cit about 1000 miles wide extendin.r p
ON i 10 10 degrees north and south 7
the equator, we have an enormous V
rea which is not only we'll a.3an,ed b
n colonization in the true sense-tbat d
I, Tor permanent occupation CT White r
ieh-out is also, with proper sanitary b
the most healthy and en- Il
'yable part of the world IN which the A
-oorer can obtain the maximum re- II
I'm for the minimum amount of TOLL fl
The commission will pay special at g
ntlon to those diseases which are car b
ed ABOUT by animals For instance n
IS Wen known that mosquitoes liz "
;ulate human beings with the germs fl
malaria and of elephant;asis. Dr in
)mmer of Buenos Ayras intiuaates ! a.
at mosquitoes disseminate the germs in
leprosy. Flies carry about from pl
'rson to person the germs of yellow in
Yer, typhold fever, ophtlalmia, aud d,
veral intestinal diseases PAS. mice il
'Ss ana other animals contract the in
ague and transmit it 10 human be- W
gs. How TO bar out these Iossibiii al
IS viii be a subject of study Con- in
rning mosquitoes, the draining of tv
arShy tracts is one method of relief. DC
'ofeSSor Koch, who will shortly co TO ST
-rica TO study the malaria question. g.
S invented mosquIto-proof house A