The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-28
opkping of the Annual Convention Of
the American Public Health
Association.
HURTY ON CAR SANITATION
IfLEA FOR PREVENTION OF THE
SPREAD OF TUBERCULOSIS.
ssThe House ON Wheels" He Declares,
Is Potent Factor im transmits
sion OF Consumption.


lar session of the thirty-fi-st annual meet
Ing OF the American Public Health Associa-
ton was held here to-day. prominent bacte-
biologists and students OF sanitation from
the United States, Canada, Mexico and
Cuba being present After the convention
was called to order by DIT. Walter Wyman,
surgeon general OF the Marine Hospital and
Public Health Service. Gen. Geo. u. Stern
burg. surgeon general L. 8. A. retired,
delivered an address in which he dealt at
length on the efforts which have been made
to stamp out disease and to guard against
epidemics. The great prosperity Of some
OF the Southern States during recent years.
he said. had been due to their protection
from yellow fever. which formerly operated
- serious barrier TO Industrial and COM
nercial progress. He said that through
persistent efforts of the association this
ard other exotic diseases have been prac-
tically stamped from the United States.
He digressed from his paper to remark
that since IL was written the present attack
OF yellow fever in Texas had developed.
and declared ne would not have believed it
possible. with the associations present
Knowledge, that yellow fever would have
been allowed TO obtain foothold there.
Somebody Is responsible" he said. "Al
though cholera, yellow fever and bubonic
plague" he continued. ARE no longer feared
by sanitar;ans. we have not yet conquered
our endemic filth disease, typhoid fever.
and tuberculosis claims nearly 10000 vic
tins annually within the limits of the
United States Until these and other wide
ly prevalent infectious diseases are prac-
tically stamped out, he said, "our self
imposed task will not be complete
The report of the committee on animal
diseases and foods, having reference 10 the
phase of tuberculosis which relates to its
transmission from the animal To human be-
ings, was presented by DIR. ID. Z. Salmon,
of the Bureau OF Animal Industry, Wash
ington. Clinical evidence, statistics and ex-
perimental tests, he declared. all favor the
conclusion that bovine tuberculosis
factor in human tuberculosis. The source
OF the milk supply. he urged, should be at
tended to- 1t will require much work, he
continued, to decide with even approximate
losis caused by animal Infection, but the
fact that g per cent. OF these cases in chill
dren investigated by the German commits
sion, and 80 per cent. OF similar cases in
vestigated by DR.. Schwenitz, of Washing
ton. showed animal infection is sufficient to
prove the necessity for measures to be taken
and enforced TO guard against infection OF
children through milk. In the discussion
which followed DR.. Juan Guiteras, of Ha-
vana, the yellow fever expert. said that.
although in Cuba the invariable custom is
to boil milk, he believed the infantile tu-
berculosis In Cuban children is as frequent
az anywhere else.
through DR.. j. n. Hurry, of Indianapolis
There Is unanimity OF opinion, he said, re-
garding the transportation by common car
iberia. scarlet fever. ieprosy, yellow fever
and typhoid. Leprosy, he declared, is not
as easily transmitted as tuberculosis, and,
compared to the latter In its destructiveness
Of human life, Ii amounts to nothing at all.
Yet, he said, a riot would follow the intro
duction OF leper into a railway car. The
word tuberculosis, he contended, makes lit
40 D.. 60. II
certainty that not less than 10000 of those
now living In the United States will be dead
Of consumption within another twelve
months and three times that number will
be attacked in the same period. People. he
said do not take precautions against infiu-
erces which kill thousands where leprosy
kills one These and other considerations, -
he said, make IL plain that lie is difficult
to enforce scientific measures against con-
tagion. The house Wheels" he declared.
lis potent factor in the transmission of
DIR. Hurry was followed by Drs. Huan
Brena, of Mexico, and Granville Il. Conn,
OF Concord. n. II. Each urged the adoption
of measures compelling the proper building,
yentilating and cleaning OF railway cars.
At the afternoon session there was gen.
eral discussion OF the subject of car ventil-
alton. the consensus or opinion being that
the air In sleeping cars becomes Initiated
and that they are fruitful sources OF dis
ease. The delegates were outspoken in
condemnation OF the alleged lack of at
tention to the matter OF cleaning blankets
and furnishings in sleeping cars. DR.. j. III.
Mccormick. OF the state board of health
of Kentucky. declared that official in
vestigation into the subject by him dis
closed the fact that the blankets were
cleaned only once every six months.
DIR. c. d. Dudley. OF Altoona. Pa, chem
ist for the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany. demanded that the delegates furnish
him data on which they based their state
ment. II was not fair. he said, to require
railroads To spend large sums OF money in
this direction until they knew where they
stood. The cleaning of cars In transit he
characterized as one OF the most annoying
things railroads have TO contend with. In
addition. he said. his company had tried
various schemes for sierilizing the drinking
water in cars and resorred TO the expedieni
of forrnaldehyde in disinfecting them. He
assured the delegates that the railroads
are ready to take hold of the matter and
utilize any practical system that will con-
tribute TO the general public health.