Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-21
IMPROVED SANITATION
CONFERENCE OF STATE BOARDS
OF HEALTH IN SESSION.


of health IN the country met at the New
Willard today to discuss improved means
! of sanitation. An interesting program has
been arranged to occupy three days. A re-
ception will be In order Wednesday, when
Gen. Walter wyman of the marine hospital
and public health service, Is to deliver an
address.
Among the delegates here are DR.. r. H.
Lewis, president of the conference and sec
rotary of the state board of health of North
Carolina; DIR. C. d. Smith of the state board
OF health of Maine; c. o. Probst secretary
of the state board of health of Ohio, and
Chas Harrington of the state board or
health of Massachusetts.
The conference has under consideration
among other things, the work of railroad
sanitation and plan for cooperation be-
tween the boards of health of the several
states.
Address on Tuberculosis.
The session this morning was devoted to
the subject OF tuberculosis. DR.. Richard
Lewis of Raleigh N. c.. president OF the
conference, delivered an address on the sub
ject. The point OF his argument was that
important sanitarium treatment had proved
and gratifying as were the results, the cam
paign of education which would prevent
tuberculosis was much more important and
inexpensive than the treatment aIter tHe
dis ease had got a start.
Dr. Lewis said that about the least sum
for which sanitarium can be built Is
S10O,OG0. The expense of treating and car
ing for a patient is roughly estimated at
dollar a day. Thus if there were only 100
poor patients cared for there was an ex-
pense of $4,000 year. lncidentals OF man
agement added to this would easily bring
it to SIG, coo annually. Now, he said. many
of the states. especially the poorer southern
Tot rnttlA Ink fnr q m
appropriatng such lump sum. But, he
said, # people could be educated to appre-
ciate the real method of contagion and the
proper method of caring for patients the
disease could be stamped out and those who
needed 1t most could be cared for In insti-
tutions in one way or another
The speaker then outlined in detail plan
of educational campaign with cost attached.
He said that there should be q paid lee
turer, a good talker and provided with
stereopticon, an assistant and good stock
of literature.
Discusses Probability.
DR.. Lewis pointed out how such man
should travel from place to place in his
state, the best methods of getting pub
licity through newspapers. and by aid Of
the preachers, physicians and officials of
the towns, and how the supply of literature
could be kept up and anti-tuberculosis
leagues formed in all the cities and villages
of state He said the support of such
man and the expense for his assistants,
travelling expenses and literature. postage
and clerical assistance would involve an ex-
Vense of not more than $500 a year.
Tive such sanitary evangelists," as he
called them, could be supported at an ex-
pense OF running one santarium, and they
could cover 200 points a year each. They
would be brought into direct contact with
10000 people and indirectly would touch
the whole population of every town in the
state. He was sure the money could not
be expended to better advantage, and he
presented the plan all worked out in detail
to the consideration of the convention.
There afterward a general discus
sion participated in by several of the health
officials present.
Educational Campaign.
DR.. Henry Holton of Vermont told of an
educational campaign that was being car
ried on in his state with very satisfactory
results. He said also that Senator Proctor
had contributed $4,000 to the erection and
maintenance of sanitarium, which Is eX-
pected to do excellent work
DIR. c. D. Smith of Portland Me-. spoke
OF the work that Maine was doing and
said among other things that part of
public park with q large unused building
had been appropriated by the city govern
ment in Portland, and the worst cases that
needed supervision and segregation were
taken out of the slum sections and cared
for
The conference will be in session three
days and will elect officers before adjourn
ing. Those attending the present meeting
are: DR.. Richard Lewis. Raleigh, n. c.: DR..
John S. Fulton. Baltimore. Md; Dr. Joseph
Porter Key West. Fla: DR.. Gardner I.
Swarts. Providence. r. l.; DR.. Herbert T.
Pease. Albany. n. Y; DIR. H. NJ. Bracken.
St. Paul Mimi: DR.. /. S Healy, Grand
Forks. n. D.; Dr. Charles Harrington, Bos
ton, Mass: DIR. Alexander LAWYER, Whining
ton, Del. DIR. Harper. Madison Wis: DR..
Henry Holton Burlington. Va; DR.. c. d.
Probst Columbus. Ohio; Dr. W. c. Chap
man. Toledo. Ohio: DR.. C. d. Smith, Port
land, Ne: Or. Crumbine, Topeka, Kan, and