The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-27
University of Illinois Professor at In
diana Health Officers School Ad-
vfses Living in Open Air.
WITH CLEAN LIVING HOUSES
THE DISEASE WILL EVENTUALLY
DISAPPEAR, THE DOCTOR SAYS.
Man Who Sacrificed Monkey to Sci
ence Talks on the Management of
Plagues-Meeting Closes.

$50 far as I know this health officers
school is an innovation in this section, and
1 believe it is the most valuable work the
Indiana Board of Health has ever done.
Medical schools do not provide courses in
hygiene, and in consequence the medical
graduate, however good a medical man he.
may be, is not trained sanitarian. This
kind of school is imperatively needed to
make santarians out of men who are han
ding sanitary problems. 1t cannot fail to
be of lasting benefit to the people of the
State. Sanitary problems are of such vital
Importance that a good health officer is of
great value to community, and poor one
might be a great harm.
I'm the nature of things it becomes neces-
sary that the health authorities at times
should have authority in excess of that pos
sessed by every other branch of govern
ment. Laws are made for usual conditions
In time of threatened epidemic the power
invested in the health authorities is and
must be most autocratic. 1t is imperative
therefore, that the health authorities should
have sanitary training. Just this sanitary
training is given by the Indiana health off,
GERS school.
TALK ON CONSUMPTION.
This was the estimate given last night
by DR.. w. A. Evans, of the medical depart
ment of the University Of Illinois, In talking
of the Indiana health officers school, which
closed a two days session yesterday even
ing. DR.. Evans was one of the principal
speakers yesterday. He addressed the doc
tors on the fresh-air treatment for con-
sumption, declaring that there is no longer
any doubt about the effectiveness of this
treatment. He called attention to the fact
that through the influence of Secretary
Hurry, of the State Board of Health, and
others whom DIR. Hurry has interested in
State are taking the fresh-air treatment
by living out of doors. He believed that
most of those cases taken in the earlier
stages should be cured.
DR.. Evans thinks this agitation means
that within a few years the open-air treat
ment will be adopted in early cases and
even in predisposed cases. The statistics
of the United States Government Hospital
and of the various public, semi-public and
private institutions and of isolated indi-
vidual cases; shows that the treatment is
he, and above all. the people, understand
thoroughly that where there are no houses,
there is no tuberculosis; that it is propor-
tionate to the amount of housing of man
and animal. proper effort will be made to
improve both the living houses and the
workshops and the disease will eventually
disappear DR.. Evanss theory is that the
final stamping out of consumption must be
through legislation and the people must be
educated up to that point. I'm this re-
spect." he said. the work has been well
begun by DR.. Hurry. and if this meeting
develops several fresh air enthusiasts the
work will be far advanced in this State"
PREVENTION OF PLAQUES.
One of the interesting talks yesterday was
by DIR. Hugh A. Cowing who so successfully
managed the smallpox outbreak at Muncie
in 1893. He told the health officers how
to do this kind of work successfully, dis
cussing the topic 1.-THE Duties of the Health
Officer in Relation to Infectious Diseases. +"
sistant surgeon general of the United
States Public Health and Marine Hospital
Service. was listened to with keen interest.
DIR. Geddings is a bacteriologist of note. He
was one of the first TO study the bubonic
plague germ and in carrying his exper-
iments with this germ sacrificed monkeys
by the score. His discussion was on the
management of Outbreaks of Smallpox
Diphtheria and Scarlet Fever" In discuss
ing smallpox, he said: 1T is a disgrace for
any people TO have this disease. for it's
prevention is easy. People, however, prefer
TO spend millions in having the disease
rather than spend few thousand In pre-
venting IL. The trouble is not in getting
worth a pound of cure but I'm getting them
to practically apply the principle
DIR. Geddngs gave series of axioms for
the guidance of health officers for prevent
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