New-York tribune., 1907-09-15
STAMPING OUT DISEASE.
Work of Men DeUOted to PreCeRtiUe
Medicine.

washington. Sept. Il (specaD.-The universe
ties are beginning to make special provisions Cor
the training OF the men who viii in the future de-
vote themselves to stamping out disease rather
than TO curing it after it has attacked mankind.
Thus the George Washington University in this
city numbers among its faculty General George NJ
Sternberg who holds the title OF professor OF pre-
ventive medicine. General Sternberg. who was
surgeon general OF the United States army from
1893 until 1902. learned by practical experiences
how to deal with contagious diseases for he served
through numerous cholera and yellow fever ept-
denies had command of the medical service in the
war with Spain ard member and secretary
Of the Havana Yellow Fever Commission OF the
National Board OF Health in 1872
General Sternberg. whose writings in the science
of preventive medicine are recognized as those ot
one of the worlds foremost authorities. in art-
Gle which appears among this years publications
of George Washington University shows that tbs
modern scientific warfare against disease IS being
carried on In all parts of the world Americans
have conquered yellow fever in its hons II ths
tropics. on the other side of the globe JaDan'S
war with Russia revealed how well the little brown
men could DO in keeping their soldiers safe from
attacks by disease. giving the lie 20 the Old
assertion that are killed IN war by sick
ness than by bullets II issinteresting to note in
this connection that it was japanese, trained IN
the Ia aboratorv II the famous Professor Koch. %
Berlin who discovered the minute bacillus which
of the plague. for centuries the world )
greatest scourge. Statements Of the mortality in
these davs of the twentieth century SiXty-eighr
thousand people died OF the disease in London in
1855 7S 600 died in in 1879 and it killed 30
600 in stockholm 1904 y brief epidemic IN Central
Europe in 177f is estimated to have caused a nor
tsfitv of 200 600 Even in the present century the
p1as11e caused thousands of deaths in China. but
it's spread was finally checked In the Phllipp lnes-
yber. the. disease prevailed 10 a consideraDie eN-
te+ when our troops took possession OF the lSandS
il has heeu practically exterminaJed through ths
efforts OF the medical 0ulcerS oi tiIe AtIil-
The story of the triumphs of the men VINO Pc
ri.,-s IN The ounce of prevention rather than tnS
Do1,nd of cure is graphically 90 oy anotnet SEE
of figures DR.. Sternberg mus tilal oI'l5 L5 -
~. SeS+ estimates. the average length or human
Iif. in the sixteenth century was less tah twenty
Years AT the present time II IS mere than tWlce
as long and during the last Twenty-Five years Iuc
b1Irt six wears During the nrSt thirty-tive years
of the last century the vial statStlcs OF Ihe Sy
~ london showed a mortality OF about - TO lOVo
Al the present time the mOrtAllty IN Ildt Sttdl
civ has been reduced tolkom II to 10 lGtS- Even
more notabIe results hsI2 been obtained IN many
Darts of the civilized world as knowledse al
have, Increased improved and as hygienic con-
,ftCnz have been bettered
sfanding she story told ~ such statistlcs
tber is p,anty OF work ahead fOr the experts IN
luz. = l Df t4iseass Census Bureau
fn,,n9 that moro than 35 600 people died from ty
phoid in the United States in $500 AccoTdlnss Io
the returns there were lIL99 deas NJ
tttbercIross in the same year. and u Is prCbdbis
tbat the pOtaI ni>mber at least ls'.pVl let
with increasing numbers of young men studyinS
preventive medicine in schools such as that fnalI
Greater public knowledge OF sanitation and with
TnprOved conditions Of living. the tTuUpilS OF tle
mast will De surpassed by the victories OF tle
future doctor who never axes a cure
viii he one Of the. most useful members OF the
cornu1l!nitv tieVoting his life research work and
To- service boards of health and similar bodies