Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-09-15

George Washington university In this
city among it's faculty Cen
eral George Nj. Sternberg, Who holds
the title OF Professor of Preventive
Medicine. General Sternberg. who
Mas surgeon general of the United
states army from 1899 until 1902,
learned by practical experience how
10 Teal with contagious diseases, for
he served through numerous cholera
and yellow fever epidemics, had conl-
mand Of the medical service IN the
war with spain and was a member
and secretary of the Havana yellow
fever commission of the NATIONAL
board OF health in 1873.
General S%ternberg. whose writings
i'm the science OF preventive medicine
are recognized as those of one Of the
worlds foremost authorities, in an ar
ticle which appears among this years
notifications of George Washington
university. shows that the modern sell
entiac warfare against disease is be-
ing carried ON Ia all parts of the
world. American nave conquered
yellow fever Ia its home in the tropics.
ON the other IL OF the globe, Ja-
pans war with Russia revealed how
well the little brown men could do in
keeping their soldiers safe from at
tacks by disease, aud giving the lie 10
the old assertion that more men are
killed in war by sickness tina by bull
lets. II * Interesting TO note in this
connection, that it was a japanese,
trained in the laboratory of h fa-
nous Professor Koch of Berlin, who
discovered the minute bacillus which
Is the cause of the plague, for centur-
les the worlds greatest scourge. state
monts Of the mortality In epidemics
Of plague seem scarcely believable in
these days OF the twentieth century.
SiNty-eight thousand people died OF the
a. 49, -, D.. Haa.a ~ Ann Had
In Vienna in 1913; Il killed 10000 IN
stockholm in 1904 A brief epidemic
in central EUROPE i'm 111t is estimated
to have caused a mortality of 300,-
coo. Even in the present century, tho
plague caused thousands Of deaths IN
China, but its spread was finally
checked. In the Philippines. whore
the disease prevailed to a considerable
extent when our troops took possession
OF the islands, Il has been practically
eNterminated Through the efforts OF the
medical officers of the army.
The story of the triumps of the men
who believe in the ounce OF preven-
ton rather than The pound of cure Is
graphically told by another set of fig
ures. Or. Sternberg finds that, ac-
cording to the best estimates, the av-
erage length of human life in the six
teenth century was less than twenty
years. At the present time IL Is more
than twice as long. ana during the
il has attacked mankind, Thus the
past twenty-five years the average du-
ration of life has been heightened by
about six years. During the first thir-
ty-hve years of the past century the
vital statistics of the city. Of LOndon
showed a mortality Of about twenty
nine 20 a thousand. AT the present
time he mortality In that great city
has been reduced TO from II to 10 per
thousand. EVon more notable results
have been obtained In many parts OF
the civilized world as knowledge and
methods in the prevention of intec-
tious diseases have increased n inn
proved and ms hygienic conditions
have been bettcred.
Notwithstanding the story told by
such statistics. there U.s. plenty of work
ahead for the experts In the preven-
ton of disease. The census bureau
found tina moro than 5000 people
died of typhoid in the United states
in 1900. According TO the census re-
turns there were 1900 deaths from
tuberculosis i'm the same year and Il
Is probable tina the total number was
at least $4,000. Yet with increasing
numbers of young men studying pre-
ventive medicine in schools such as
that maintained by the George WASH
ington university, with greater public
knowledge Of sanitation and with Inn
proved conditions or living, the tri-
umphs Of the past Will be surpassed
by the victories OF the future. SO the
doctors who never make a cure VIII be
one of the most useful members of the
community. devoting his life to re-
search work and to service on boards
of health and similar bodies.