The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-17

SAYS We MAY SUFFER AS
SCOURGE- SWEPT BUTLER
Charles Carroll Brown Strongly
Condemns Filtration Sys-
TENS OF State.
STATEMENTS
DR.. Sternberg's Talks-Criminals
Should Sacrifice Themselves
to Science.


Charles Carroll Brown, edltOr OF MUM
cipaI Engineering. before the conference of
State health officers, yesterday. discussed
the typhoid fever situation at Butler, Pa,
and declared that a similar situation is
likely TO occur In Indiana at any time. Mr..
Browns topic was Sewerage Into the
Water Courses OF Indiana. and What Shall
BE Done About it," At Butler the water
company's filtration system got out of
order, and water was used as IL was pumped
from the stream.
Mr.. Brown said that at Bloomington, Ind,
there is a similar system, and that there
might be an outbreak of fever there at any
time. IF they happened to have one case
of fever on their watershed down there
said he. lit would prevail in the city. The
difference between Bloomington and Butler
is that the irst-named city probably has no
more than twenty people living on their
watershed, while at Butler there are 10000
Mr.. Brown called attention to the small
streams that are not large enough to dilute
the sewage that pours into them. He spoke
of the condition of White river below In
~dianapolis summer before last. when there
was a prolonged dry spell. He investigated
the condition of the river six or seven miles
below the city and found an accumulation
of decomposed sewage in which no fish
could live. 1t is a peculiar fact. he said,
that fish will fatten at the mouth of the
sewer when the sewage is fresh. but after
it is decomposed it takes the oxygen out OF
the water and the fish die. Mr.. Brown said
that these problems were for engineers
TO solve, and the evils suggested can
be abated by methods that are well known.
STERNBERG TALKS
One OF The special features is the talks
of DIR. George H. Sternberg, former surgeon
general Of the United States army. DR..
Sternberg was retired a little over a year
ago. His principal talk was given last
night, the topic being Infection and I'm
munity.' DR.. Sternberg's remarks were
illustrated by stereopticon pictures. An
other feature of the night session was an
illustrated lecture on '"The Germ Theory OF
Disease" by DIR. David Dennis, professor
of biology of Earlham College.
DR.. Sternberg declared that much con-
fusion exists in the popular use of the term
infection. By many il is supposed to be
synonymous with contagion. A contagious
disease is one which may be transmitted
by personal contact. such as smallpox,
measles or scarlet fever. The word IN
lection.
DR.. Sternberg said that immunity may be
natural or acquired-that is, due to Inherit
ance or developed in an unsuscepttble indf-
vidual subsequent to birth. Man Is immune
as regards certain infectious diseases of the
lower animals, and many of the infectious
diseases to which he is subject are not
transmitted TO the domestic animals with
which he Is most closely associated. The
lecturer gave views of smallpox cases. dis
GUESSING the disease from its origin TO the
present time and showing the gradual de-
~velopment of the malady.
DR.. Sternberg, in illustrating how easily
smallpox may be communicated, gave an in
stance of a two-months-old child contract
ing the disease by being in a room that had
been occupied by a smallpox patient two
years before. The lecturer declared that
yellow fever germs have never been discov-
cred. In 1879 he was sent by the United
States government to Havana to study the
disease there. He with other scientists.
made careful research, but failed to find the
germ.
He spent years running down differ
ent theories regarding the germ, but never
found 1t. He asserted. however. that 1t is
a well known fact that yellow fever can be
communicated by a misquoto bite. DR..
~Sternberg showed pictures of typhoid fever
germs, which were very interesting. He
holds that the disease is not contagious
except where the sanitary conditions of the
sick room are not properly cared for. He
knocked to pieces many theories regarding
c~ontagion. He talked at length OF the bu-
bonic plague, saying that the disease is
often communicated by fieas. DR.. Stern
berg'S lecture was very instructive TO the
health officers. They recognized in him a
man of wide experience and careful re-
search into scientific problems.
DIR. David Denis in his talk on THE Germ
Theory of Diseases made a great many
very practical suggestions. His lecture was
also illustrated He is a very enthusiastic
advocate of the tooth brush and gave pic
lures to back up his assertions. He showed
pictures of different microbes and talked
Of the diseases they produce. DR.. Dennis
talked of the researches of the great
Pasteur. He, with the famous scientist, il
an enthusiastic believer In the cremation
theory. 1t was evident that the health
officers were in sympathy with the argu-
ment for they responded with enthusiastic
cheers. The lecturer sprung a new theory
He advanced the idea that IL might be wei
for men who are condemned to die at the
hands of the law to sacrifice themselves tC
scientists for the benefit of humanity. DIR
Dennis's remarks showed that he had giver
the topic special preparation and he un
doubtedly set the health officers thinking
The views that he and DR.. Sternbert
showed were pictures that had been taker
by themselves.
ATTENDANCE Is LARGE.
Board of Health officials were much graft
fed yesterday morning at the large attend
ance of health officers. BY 4 o'clock in tn
afternoon about 100 officials had registered
The conference was called to order by DR.
Wishard. secretary of the Board of Health
lhC INST paper was W u n. o.. 1ulOIu, y
Martinsville, who talked of the importanc
of accurate vital statistics. DR.. Hurry, sec
rotary of the State Board of Health. CAV
the conference or school Instructions 70
the collection of vital statistics. They wer
also instructed regarding quarantine and il
the general duties of town health officers
DR.. Hurry made Ii plain to the health Off
GERS that there Is no Indiana law at TN
present time to keep a child that has no
been vaccinated away from school. Healtl
officers, where there is danger of diseas
spreading. may establish guarantees
they deem them advisable, and they ma
compel the persons quarantined to be vac
cinated. Prof. Severance Burrage, profes
sor OF sanitary science at Purdue Univer
sity. read a paper at the morning session
his topic being school Sanitation and TN
Necessity of the Medical Inspection O
School Children"
William L. Taylor. former attorney gen
eral OF Indiana, read a paper at 2 d. m
on the topic. Our Health and Medica
Laws and Legislation That Is Still Needed
Mr.. Taylor is in favor of the State an
propriating a larger sum thar III 1000 70
the use OF the State Board OF Health A
carrying on its work. He also favors tn
establishment OF a State health laborator
for the analysis of water, milk or foods
Mr.. Taylor would teach the school childre
the rudiments OF sanitary science. "W
teach painting and drawing and music
he said. and a smattering or the arts an
sciences. but the greatest OF all sciences /,
a closed book to the schoolboy.'
. Caeraforv Hurfu Ia a~.a1tol- -