Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-05
SANITARY CONFERENCE
ADJoURNs TO MEET IN SANTIAGO
DE CHILE IN MARCH, 1904.
Final Session Devoted to Discussion Of
Important Questions-Dr.
Stiles Report.

udy, was CtAupictCu ySSlciuoy S'SAAAiAo ~iAS
adjournment was taken until March 10,
1904, at which time the conference Will
meet in Santiago de Chile.
DR.. Eduardo Moore, Chile's representative
at the conference. thanked the delegates
for selecting his country in which to hold
the next meeting and assured the members
OF the conference that all Chile would well
come them. A number of short speeches
of a felicitous nature were made by the
delegates from the various republics. and
resolutions were adopted
A vote of thanks was rendered to DR..
Walter Wyman, the presiding officer, and to
several others. The delegates expressed
themselves highly pleased at the treat
ment they had received in Washington and
spoke in high praise of the capital city OF
the United States.
Discussed the Mosquito.
During the business session late yesterday
afternoon the mosquito came in for the
principal share of attention, and several
resolutions bearing on the subject of in
lection from the insect were adopted. DR..
Arthur R. Reynolds of Chicago offered a
resolution, which was adopted, that the
different governments study in their respec
tive territories the geographical distribution
of the mosquito of the genus stegomia, in
OTueT lndL the study may nave
application in subsequent conventions.
DR.. Guiteras of Cuba presented resolu-
ton which covered more ground and in
measure declared that the mosquito is the
one factor in the propagation Of the disease
The conference also adopted a resolution
introduced by DR.. Reynolds relating to the
spread of disease, which was to the effect
that bubonic plague and other diseases
are spread by rats. mice, and other lower
animals, which to a great extent find sus-
tenance in animal and vegetable kitchen
wastes, commonly called garbage, and that
all organic waste or garbage should be
kept separately on the premises until it can
be removed, unmixed with anything else,
and destroyed.
Another resolution, also by DR.. Reynolds,
provides that inasmuch as typhoid fever
and Asiatic cholera are caused by swal-
lowing food or drink contaminated by the
discharges of previous cases, If ali the dis
charges of every existing case of typhoid
fever and Asiatic cholera were instantly
disinfected typhoid fever and Asiatic chol-
era would cease to be menace to the
world"
The Hook Worm Discussed.
DIR. Charles Wardell Stiles, zoologist Of
the bureau of animal industry, spoke inter-
estingly upon the subject of the parasite
commonly known as the hook worm, which,
he declared was mainly responsible for the
condition of the so-calied poor whites in the
sand districts Of the south and indirectly
responsible for the conditions which have
resulted in the crusade against child labor
in the southern cotton mills.
DR.. Stiles, it IS stated, is the discoverer of
both the disease and of the parasite which
causes it, the disease having been known to
medical science since last May. He has
just returned from an extensive tour of the
southern states, where he went with the
purpose of finding some remedy for the
malady.
He explained that uncinariasis produces
a condition of which the symptoms are
greatly like those of continued malaria, for
which il is almost invariably mistaken. The
presence of this disease in the south in past
years, he said, had resulted in the ptiable
condition Of the poor whites in many Of
the southern states. Its presence in sue
ceeding generations had resulted in their
inferior physical development and mental
powers and is the cause of the proVerbial
laziness of the cracker" This laziness,
DIR. Stiles says, is an abnormal and not
normal condition; and attention paid to this
matter by planters and farmers in the
southern states would result in not only i'm
crease of the percentage of work which
they would secure from their employees
Crusade Against Child Labor.
The crusade against child labor in the
south, DR.. Stiles declared, was due Indirect
ly to the general presence of this disease,
and he made the remarkable statement that
CHlluTtU VIII Cdllt Tie couHtly
tricts to work in the mills became generally
greatly improved as result of the better
sanitary conditions in the cities and the
better facilities for the cure of the disease.
AS regards the age of children In the
mills, DR.. Stiles said that reformers who
went through the cotton factories and other
places in the southern states where such
labor was employed We're generally de-
eeived regarding the ages of these minor
employees, one Of the characteristics of the
81 .k,, ga l.
mental development, but the physical
growth as well, and made men and women
of twenty to twenty-three years of age
seem only about fourteen to sixteen.
In describing the symptoms of the disease
DIR. Stiles asserted that it created an alb
normal appetite for different things in in
dividual cases, and that the dirt eaters
were almost all sufferers from 1t. The dis
ease itself he asserted, was due not to the
habit Of eating dirt, as some physicians
have claimed, but that, reverseiy, the habit
itself is due to the disease. The famous
pickle eaters Of North Carolina were
abnormal and peculiar appetite was the re-
suit of a certain stage of the malady.
May Be Cured.
DR. Stiles declared that the disease was
susceptible of cure, and he urged that in
formation concerning 1t should be scattered
broadcast that cures might be effected.
~ NUMBER OF the SOulil american OeleSdteS
expressed their belief that such disease
existed in certain South American countries
and was responsible for the backward con-
diton of the people there. They promised
thoroughly to investigate the subject on
their return to their respective countries.
Resolutions were adopted recommending
that the international sanitary bureau
urge each republic to promptly and regular
ly transmit TO the International sanitary
bureau at Washington all data of every
character relative to the sanitary condit lon
of their respective ports and territories, and
to furnish said bureau every opportunity
and aid for a thorough, careful, and scen-
tifc study and investigation of any out
breaks of pestilential diseases which may
occur within the territory of any of the
said republics.
Encourage Sanitation.
1t Is further recommended that the in
ternational sanitary bureau lend it's best
aid and experience toward the widest pos
sible protection Of the public health of each
of the said republics, in order that disease
may be elimina ted and that Commerce be-
tween said republics may be facilitated, and
to encourage and aid or enforce in all prop
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