The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-09

conditions of Richmond, which was ex-
ceptinnal, and that was our large NOR
tally percentage Of deaths from tuber-
3 cuoss. Believing. ns / do, that the dam
ser from this disease IL largely conditions
4 cd upon correct sanitary knowledge OF IT.,
y have had no fcnr along this line and
still Think that Richmond offers exccp-
tionat advantages In the matter of good
health, conditions. / admit that we stiff
fer from some nuisnnces which might
K easily DO rei,,e1ied. Take for instance,
the dust nuisance have been sur
prised that this city has not followed tho
methods so prevalent through many
cities OF the West or Using crude pc
troeuin Upon tho streets. This method
IS far stirpasses tho present method of street
srrlnklinE and economically considered IS
tut little more expensive and far more
Il lasting III It's results.
~ may be optimistic, but do not be-
lieve for example. that we arc obtain
Ing MS much Impure milk here us IS
81 thought by some to lie tho case; for |
la use many hundreds OF gallons annually
III or patients, over whose life and habits
I have entire control. and I have not
vet seen case of disease cmannting from,
this class of patients. II Is true, Of
n course, that under different conditions,
even n good milk supply can be per-
verted. and Celetcrious results follow, ms
often Is the case where the people live
In unsanitary Surroundings and follow un-
sanitary methods of life. But on the
whole. the milk that the people Of this
e city drink, is generally of a pure cliarac-
ter. and the health conditions here are
\ ik general vtry good"
DR. Levy's Plain Words.
Or. L. c. Levy. city bnctcriologist, did
not discus the sanitary conditions of tho
city In general. but he hnd some very
plain things to say III reply to q para
graph of Dr. Oppenhimers paper read
before tht Council Monday night. Dr. OPP
penhimer discussing the making of re-
lease cultures in diphthcria after all elm
lcal vestlges, Of the disease, have dis
apeapred, said:
For example, a negro woman had
diphtherla. and was treated by DR..
Stratton. one of the city physicians,
After nll visible traces of the disease
had vanished, two examinations by
the city bncterlologist revealed The
presence of germs. The woman was
restless under CONTINENT; In fact. only
remaining indoors when she expected
the doctor; and the people who Ind
employed her protested that she was
kept In quarantine after her health
.
test the efficacy of the department.
] accordingly instructed DR. Stratton
to mop out his own thorat and send
the mop to the city bacteriologist.
The next day there came card say
ing the patient was worse! This Is
only to bring out the point that doc
tors convey disease as we'll as other
people, and consistency would demand
a archaeological examination OF each
doctors throat every time he came
IN contact with case of dnhtheria.
He Charges Deception.
Referring to this statement Dr. Levy
said:
II did not state that 'the patient was
worse, but there Is no doubt at all about
/ my reporting that diphtheria bacilli were
J present in each Of the several cultures
sent me by DR.. stratton. and they were
there. Within n few days 1t came to
my knowledge that Dr. Stratton claimed
that the last Of these swahs was from
his own throat, and not from the throat
of his patient at once went TO see Or.
Oppenhimer for tho purpose of telling
him OF this willfu deception on the .vnrt
OF one OF the city physicians. DR.. Garcin
was In his Office at the time. DR.. Open
himer turned to DIR. Garcin and said:
Raymond You remember that when DR..
Stratton told me OF this said that 1t |
only proved what | had repeatedly con-
tended namely, that doctors often car
ried the germs of disease from one case
to another DR.. Gnrcin agreed that this
was DIR. Oppenhimer's interpretation,
neither OF them being at all disposed to
doubt, as. indeed know neither is now
willing to do openly, the accuracy Of my
findings. They both treated 1t as q good
joke on DR.. Stratton
Only on hearing Dr. Orpenhimer's
reply to the investigating committee last
night did realize that he himself was
at the bottom of this dclibcra to conspir-
ncy to bellttle the value of meteorological
work In general and my own ability in
particular. Moreover, who knows even
where that culture really did come from?
Are we to believe Dr. Stratton's verbal
statement to Or. Oppenhmer that he took
.his swab from his own throat his
written statement, which accompanied
the culture that he had gotten It from
the throat OF the negro woman2 con.
TESS that Or. stratton land Dr. Open
hlmer must DECIDE. this A'deIIcatc point OF
honor between them, while myself, In
the face of their self confessed decep
ZION, must honestly admit that do not
feel called upon to believe either Of them
either time.
"Dr. Oppenhmer was guilty of a double
deception. first in putting UP this at
tempted trick against one Of his own
co-labOrers and thereafter in disclaming |
his part in It, except as an accessory af- |
ter the fact, until aroused his animos-
ity by admitting, when directly asked |
by him. that had given the lnvestiget- |
ing committee some advice IN the mere |
arrangement OF their actual findings.
"Therc Is n scientific aspect to the
whole thing, which ! will be glad to ex-
plain to anyone who really wishes TO
understand It, hut which I can no longer
hope to show to the president OF the
Board of Health, who, after apparently
understanding the irilo significance Of
this incident, later on, for personal rcn-
Sons, deliberately seeks to use 1t against
mo-"
!. $50, doctor" asked tho reporter ply
sicians who are attending cases Of
diphthern may carry the germs in their
own throats?'
"Certainly,' replied Or Levy. ''this