The San Francisco call., 1905-08-26
HEALTH AND PROSPERITY.

The general public little realizes the enor-
nous effect of health on prosperity. When an
Englishman is sent into = tropical country ne
is paid double salary. He expects leave
of absence for a year every four or hve years
he is provided with servants and all sorts of
luxuries in order to induce MIN 10 remain, and
he is altogether expensive servant and a
serious tax business. When he falls Ill his
sickness is almost calamity TO the house that
employs him. When you send such expensive
agents cut into tropical countries you should
take care that the medical men responsible for
their health are really able to undertake this
and are of the best quality.
Another thing not generally realized is the
effect Of the change of trade routes. such as
the Panama canal viii cause. The Suez canal
changed the trend of commerce. 1t brought
about Encouragement OF the commercial
world similar revolution Is IN prospect
with the completion OF the Panama canal If
you open new commercial routes you introduce
new diseases. Before the Atlantic Ocean was
crossed by ships America free from a
great many diseases that now are common
here.
The Isthmus of Panama. by forming bar
rier between the Atlantic ana Pacific oceans
has saved South Asia from the contagion OF
yellow fever. When the Panama canal is cut
you Will probably find that II will int oduce y;l-
low fever into Asia The effect OF this the
commerce OF San Francisco Is likely to be Sc
rious. You will find that a yellow fever scare
will be worse than bubonic plague scare.
There Is nothing so fataI 10 commerce as a
quarantine. and quarantines are likely to be
frequent IL the yellow fever boyle is not laid.
Quarantines should never exist. They have
none in England The last great pandemic of
cholera came to America, but IL did not affect
England in epidemic for=-, although few
cases introduced there. There were no
quaranInes. but there was an elaborate sys-
tenn OF health inspection which led to the iso-
lation of suspected cases. All cases were re-
ported and at once dealt with AS nobody was
seriously inconvenenced, there no tempta-
ton to conceal disease. The same method
should be adopted here, so that when case Of
CONTAGIOUS disease drops into port II can be
promptly isolated. / understand you had Chi
natown quarantined and roped off. 1t was a
futile expedent No rat land rats are the
principal carriers of bubonic plague) would cart
twopence whether he crawled out over rope
or under one.
You have guarantees against whisky In this
country. yet they are frequently run with
great success ANY quarantine can be run II
some unprfncipled fellow with no regard for
law is determined TO DO II. The only Quaran-
tine people should have is to get their houses
in proper order and maintain regulations for
keeping them in good condition
RECOMMENDS A SCHOOL.
There is no question as TO the necessity for
a school of tropical medicine in the United
States l presume that the standard of medi-
cal education in this country is not much diff
ferent from the standard in England and
know that an ordinary physician there fresh
from a regular medical school knows nothing
OF the diagnosis and treatment OF tropical dis
eases. To put him in a lonely place in the
tropics and make him responsible for the lives
of few dozen white men and hundreds Of
natives Is murder.
What 1 saw In China and other places has
led me to take up this subject and see what
could be accomplished, and they quite
unanimous in England now to the desira-
bility of the movement
You will find the United States to-day well
represented medically throughout the British
and the American tropical dependencies. Very
few young physicians are competent to take
charge Of bodies Of men in tropical countries.
II is too much to expect of a medical man
without special education would as soon
send tnsmith to put up steel bridge or
northern farmer accustomed to growing tur-
nips and other green crops to grow cotton in
a tropical country as to send a northern doctor
without special study TO treat tropical disease.
There are two schoolg of tropical medicine
in England. in London and one at Liver
pool The one at London was assisted by the
government The one at Liverpool estab-
ished through the local patriotism of the
merchants and business men Of the place.
should think that here the proper proceeding
would be for some wealthy men Of the State
town to undertake this matter. The Mer-
chants Association might take 1t up. II It
succeeded IT would soon be able to stand on
its feet
PLENTY OF SUBJECTS HERE.
The opportunity in San Francisco is unique
1t is far better than that of London There
is local Chinese colony here OF about 10. 600
understand. which should be able to supply
large number of cases for teaching purposes.
You have plenty OF japanese Filipinos Ha-
waiians and other tropical peoples and you
could draw upon them. Then you already
have schools and hospitals established and ali
that would be needed in addition is certain
amount of organization. expansion in the hos
pitfalls and endowments for teachers and YOU
have your school made.
A great deal has been said about studying
diseases where they arise. but the tropics
where the steaming heat knocks the energy
ont of Europeans and where you feel Inclined
down a microscope without drop of sweat
obscuring the eyepece. is no place for study
ccol climate like this. Climate, clinical on
portunitfes and organized schools combine to
make San Francisco the best place or one of
study / should say 1t your duty and IL