Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-23
on LINES OF ACTIVITY
Address by Surgeon General
Wyman at Health Conference.
LEPER COLONY IN MOLOKI
The tuberculosis Investigation by
Government Commission.
STREAK POLLUTION IN STATES
Health boards Given Exclusive Con-
troll in neutrality-suspicious.
and Experiences.
STREAK POLLUTION IN STATES

meet surgeon General Wyman of the pub
lie health and marine hospital service.
In addressing the delegates Gen. Wyman
said there were some lines of activity In
which the general government had been
particularly interested during the past year
They were the establishment of the ex-
perimental station in the leper colony on
the Island Of Moloki; the yellow fever cam
psign in Louisiana. and the tuberculosis in
vestigation that was now being carried on
by the commission appointed by the Pres,-
dent.
As to the leper colony, Gen wyman said he
was glad to be able to announce that they
had been able to select an ideal spot on
the Island Of Moloki. and had secured the
services of DR.. Brenkerhoff of the Harvard
Medical School as chief surgeon in charge
OF the station. He Is a young man with
all OF youth. health and enthusiasm In his
favor Such tentative Investigations and
experiments as were possible in the earlier
DAYS OF the station were already being car
ried on, and though the buildings were not
yet completed and there was a great deal
to do, the work was coming on and prom
ised well. There are not yet any conclusive
results he said, to report.
Work Of the Government.
Dr. Wyman also outlined to the confer
ence the work of the general government
In its tuberculosis campaign Pamphlets on
the preyentidp OF tuberculosis that had been
prepared blythe government for distribu-
ton to employees suffering from the disease
were distributed to the members of the
conference and Gen. Wyman told of the
regulations that were already being en-
fored for the protection OF fellow-workers
from consumptiye companions and of the
progress that was being made In inspecting
the government buildings In Washington
with view to rendering them more sani-
tary, II necessary. by partial RECONSTRUCT
ton He said that following this work I'm
washington 1t would be extended to Gus
tom houses, minis and other federal build
ings all over the United States.
The three subjects before the conference
were stream pollution car sanitation and
tuberculosis. They We're all to be treated
from an interstate standpoint, and to this
end the roll of the states was called and
each member present gave a short talk
on the subject under consideration. The
discussion OF stream pollution was closed
at the morning session.
Most of the discussion was largely tech
nical. 1t developed that less than half
OF the delegates came from states that give
their boards of health entire charge of
the water systems and sewage disposal.
Nearly all of the states had trouble with
their neighbors, too, in the matter of inter
state stream pollution. But it was gen
orally believed that notwithstanding the
decision in the case of the Chicago drainage
canal and of the suit still being fought
between Colorado and Kansas, the general
government had the right to step in and
settle such disputes through the medium of
the Supreme Court
Stream Pollution.
DR.. Probst of Ohio, In speaking of stream
pollution in his state said he had called on
the United States geological survey for helm
in some cases and was decidedly pleased
with the result. He instanced one case
where distiller had been running an ad-
joining stream with the drainage of the
watts and the refuse from cattle kept there
to fatten on the used-up mash. They had
been persuaded to put In an evaporating
plant that had cost them about $50, 600 but
they are now saving all of the trouble as to
stream pollution that had caused a number
of law suits in the past, and were making
out of the plant cattle food that was net
ting them SIS a day on their $4,000 invest
ment.
There was another case of big tube fac
tory that had been running a stream near
Shelbyville by running the sulphuric acid
from the tube-cleaning tanks into the
stream. They had also been induced to put
In a plant to recover sulphate of copper
from the acid. The recovery plant cost
them $1,000. and they were now making 81
per day Off the by product These instances
he said. are hopeful.
DR.. Swarts Of Rhode Island spoke along
the same line and said that, having heard
or the success OF some other states In
having the geological survey take up the
subject OF stream pollution, he had called
on them, and they are working out a
method for saving the streams of the
and other factories that were situated on
the banks.
The conference will next take up the
subject Of yellow fever.
Those Present
Those who were present at the confer
ence were Doctors VIM. H Davis of Colo
RADIO. Alexander Lowber of Delaware, w.
c. Woodward of this city. Jos. Y Porter
of Florida H. F. Harris of Georgia, s. J.
Crumbine of Kansas. Clifford H. Irion of
Louisiana, c. D. Smith of Maine, j. s. Full
ton Of Maryland. Charles Harrington of
Massachusetts, Frank Shumway of Michi-
gan. III. M. Bracken of Minnesota, d. T.
Powell of Missouri, ]. r. Mitchell, Alexan-
der H. Seymour and H. d. Pease Of New
Rafael del Vale of Porto Rico H. H.
Healy of North Dakota. w. c. Chapman
and C. o. Probst of Ohio. Gardner T.
Swarts of Rhode Island. J. A. Albright of
Tennessee, T. B. Beatty of Utah H. D.
Hoiton of Vermont E. L. Harvie of vir-
ginia and C. A Harper of Wisconsin.
Before the meeting of the conference
the committee appointed by the boards Of
health heard the report of the committee
appointed on the death of DR.. Lindsey.
They recommended that a sketch of his
life be prepared and made a part of the
minutes of the meeting
Final Session Held.
The national conference of state and pro-
vincial boards Of health came to a close late
yesterday afternoon by the election of the
following officers: President. DIR. C. d.
Smith, Portland Me-; vice president. DIR.
Joseph !. Porter, Key West; secretary. DR..
John 3. Fulton. Baltimore, and treasurer,
Dr. j. A. Egan, Springfield, Ill. The con-
ference between the state health officers
and Surg. Gen. Wyman of the public health
and marine hospital service. provided by
law, will take place tomorrow.
The afternoon session was devoted to a
discussion OF the necessity of the United
States public health and marine hospital
service securing more precise information
relative to the methods OF the health boards
OF the various states. No action. however.
was taken and the matter will come up
again at the conference tomorrow. The
conference discussed the subject under the
general topic of "a plan for utilizing the
power of the United States public health
service In developing local sanitary govern
naent."
DIR. John g. Fulton Of Baltimore spoke of
what he declared to be the ignorance ex-