Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-08-23
ron A nnA1ru DEPARTMENT.

one Of the recommendations Of Presl-
dent Roosevelt In his address ON the oc-
caslon Of the laying of the corner stone
OF the Pilgrim memorial monument
was. that the federal government be
given extended power 10 deal with the
health conditions OF the people every
where, He said:
Il also hope that there will be legis-
lation increasing the power of the
national government to deal with GER
tain matters concerning the health NJ
our people everywhere. the Federal au-
thorities, for Instance should join with
all the State authorities In warning
against the dreadful scnurge Of tuber-
cuIosis. Your own state government,
here In Massachusetts, deserves high
praise for the action 1T has taken In
these public health matters during
the last few years. and I'm this. as IN
some other matters. ] hope In see the
National government stand abreast of
the foremost state government,
II is rather strange that the import
ance Of the establishment OF a national
health department has not long ago
impressed itself upon the people and
their representatives in Congress Ex-
perts are OF the opinion that at least
half of the deaths Of infants under
years Of age could be prevented. II is
estimated that. OF the people living to-
day, probably eight millions viii die
of tuberculosis Six million people will
be carried off by heart and kidney
troubles. and eight millions by pneu-
monia, and yet no national effort is
being made to ascertain whether these
conditions are unavoidable.
We have a department OF agriculture.
and we spend millions of dollars on the
Improvement of plant life and animal
life. We are trying to stamp out the
cholera among swine and to protect
trees from the attacks of beetles. We
are soiicltous about the health of the
potato plant the fig tree, and other
useful plants, as we ought to be- But,
should we spend less on the care of
the human body, and especially the in
fants, who are the nations most pre-
cious asset?
A national department of health
should be established for the purpose Of
educating the people to better under
standing of the laws of health. Such
a department would be in position
to recommend measures calculated TO
decrease sickness and deaths, except Of
natural causes, and to increase the ply
steal and mental efficiency of the citi-
zens.
The statement that infant mortality
can be reduced by proper hygienic
measures is not a mere dream. 1t has
been demonstrated by the establish
ment of municipal milk stations where
steriized milk can be had. By the
Randall island experiment, infant NOR
tality, Il is claimed. was reduced by
sterilized milk feeding from 4l.S3 per
cent. to 1925 per cent. In the short per-
iod of about seven years. Other expert
ments have been made with equally
striking results. It is undoubtedly
true that the damage done by the use
Of impure milk. soothing syrup and
80 on, is far greater than most people
realize
There is need for national health
department and its work for the physi-
cal well-being OF citizens. This work
would have it's good influence upon the
moral well-being of the nation as well.
For there is no doubt that crminallty
depends largely upon environment
From every point of view such depart
ment would be n blessing to the ma
ton. Sickness can be combatted, as
was proved by the wonderful improve
ment in the sanitary conditions Of
Havana by the simple process of clean
ing out the accumulation OF Nth IN
which the disease germs flourished. In
the same way there Is no doubt that
tuberculosis and many other diseases
can be successfully fought Much mis-
cry Is due to ignorance.