The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-24
'OHACE REVIEWS HIS
FIGHT FOR HEALTH
Lectures Before Large Audi.
ence on importance of
Work

The fight between corporate greed
and public health was the theme dis
cussed by Health Commissioner Justus
Ohage before a large audience at the
Bethel last night.
DIR. Ohage brieny reviewed the his
tory of the st. Paul health department
since he has been it's head, and spoke
with considerable JUNCTION of several
successful contests he has INDUCED in
with corporations and private inter-
ests for the preservation of the city's
health and cleanliness
After mercilessly excoriating the un-
fair tactics of scavengers in preying
upon poor people and extorting through
fear or duress 81 to SO a year from
hundreds of families, the speaker stated
that he had tried to secure redress
through the council, but that the scav-
engers had more influence there than
did he. -
I'm the health of the people lies the
strength of the nation" said the doc
tor. 1t is not only absolutely neces-
sary that they should have pure food
and water, but the body, the home
aud the city should be clean"
illustrated Methods
Illustrating his remarks with the aid
OF stereopticon views, Dr. Ohage first
took up the subject of ordinary infec-
tious and contagious diseases and the
sanitary measures that should be
adopted for protection against them
The danger OF eating impure food,
especially in connection with tubercu-
iosis, the greatest enemy of mankind,
was thoroughly discussed. DR.. Ohage
stated that strict supervision of meat
markets and diaries was an absolute
necessity, and he cited numerous in
stances where he had confiscated meat
and milk. tuberculosis, said the speak
er, can be readily caught by a person
drinking the milk or eating the meat OF
unhealthy cattle.
The meat markets don't sell any,
thing but clean meat, or the diaries i'm
pure milk in this city now" said DIR.
Ohage- u have not only sought to
prosecute the proprietors of butcher
shops selling bad meat, but in one par
ticular instance where had the evil
dence 1 arrested one of the large pack
ers and took him into court, where he
was fined $780,
The cleanliness of the people as be-
Ing necessary adjunct to health was
taken up by the doctor In connection
with the public baths on Harriet island.
Refers to Railroads
DR.. Ohage said that Ii was not only
the greed which impels merchants and
Ci ~ JcOpdIuiZe the
and lives of the people by adulterating
food products that he had had to contend
with, but that he had been forced to
make a long fight against railroad
tracks being laid right at the entrance
OF the baths, which would have had to
be crossed by any one going there
AS an apt illustration of the prone
ness Of the officials of the city to sacrifice
the health of the people to material
progress, DIR. Ohage stated that If the
railroad tracks which the city council
was willing to grant the company per-
mission to build had actually been laid,
that Ii would have practically killed
the public baths. Along this same line
the speaker told of purchasing two lots
right alongside of three which the city
had SOLD but short time before to a
railroad company for $40, or $3.50 per
lot. while the two lots he bought for
park purposes in connection with the
baths cost him over $4,000.
DR.. Ohage also referred to the COL
lection and disposal of garbage. which
Is completely under the control of the
health department. He told of the
great improvement to be noted over
the former way OF contracting II.