The Washington herald., 1908-08-06

1
There are 100000 preventable deaths
occurring among the people OF the United
States every year. II this number could
be lessened enough 70 lengthen the span
OF the average life only five years. the
economic gain rherefrOm would amount
10 $500 o00. GO year. The American As
sociation for the Advancement Of Science
would cut down the death rate and extend
The span OF lie. and is just now Iabcring
earnestly in that direction. and with
every assurance OF success. Through its
Committee OF One Hundred on National
HealJh-a committee which Is practically
& roster OF the one hundred leading spirits
Of American progress-it Is waging a com
paign which seems certain 70 result IN
as much governmental interest in The hu-
man being as IS already shown IN the
hog. horses. sheep. and cattle.
This committee IS urging the consoIida-
ton into one bureau Of al the national
agencies for the promotion OF the public
health, 70 be administered by man emf
nent IN the science Of preventive medicine
Already It has secured the Endorsement
OF the President 10 its aims. and its ennis
saries came away from Chicago and from
Denver with planks IN the Republican and
the Democratic platforms favoring the es-
Jablishment OF such a bureau The Inde-
pendence League has followed suit. so
that 10 matter who is elected in Novem-
Der the Committee Of One Hundred viii
win
It Is probable that Congressional action
viii take the form OF a law establishing
a Department OF Health. whose head shall
be a member OF the Cabinet. That IS
what the COMMITTEES OF One Hundred de-
sires and what II is seeking 70 secure
When any one comes forward with the
objection that such a course Is paternal
IN its nature. he is met with the reply
that no line Of governmental activity
could be more paternal IN Its nature than
the Department Of Agriculture, and that
notwithstanding this fact no branch OF
the government service has yielded bet
ter returns for the money put into It than
this one Not long ago the committee on
expenditures in the Agricultural Depart
ment from the House OF Representative
asked Secretary Wilson 70 furnish them
with an estimate q the value Of the De
psrtment 10 the people OF the United
States Taking only such farm progress
IS everybody admits has been due q
the work CT the department. he found
that they aggregated the enormous total
OF S232 2000.0ll. The Committee Of One
Hundred believes that what the Depart.
ment of Agriculture has done for the up
lift OF the farm. q Department Of Health
could do for the health OF the people
The work Of the Department OF Agri
culture is educational Its duty IS Z
reach out 10 the individual farmer and
show him what 20 do and how 10 do Il Il
2 way that viii yield greater returns .,
him and the nation. Il has been a SLOW
work II began ID 1893. when Congress!
Appropriated money for getting new and
rare seeds for the farmers OF the cOun
try Il has done wonders. but It has
made little more than beginning. Wher
every farmer in the country substitute.
science for main strength and brains FOL
muscle the aggregate annual contribution
10 the national wealth viii be ueare,
S2G0o0, 900 than Ss.000,o0. Is ft IS to-day
So II VIII be with the work Of the pro
posed Department OF Health. Its flna
success would be measured by how com
pletely IL reached every one OF the @.
90 600 people in the United States and en-
listed their cooperation ia the prevention
Of disease. It's aim would be TO reacl
the homes Of the people. teaching then
how 20 be scientifically clean how :,
have sanitary surroundings. and how Z
maintain good health
To-day there are At least three bureau
in the government working toward on
and the same end-the health Of the peo
H. H-H -
y Of one another and there is much trav
cling over the same road. and much need
less expenditure OF money Each ha.
contributed great service 10 the publi
health; each has rendered great AID il
educating the people in the protection O
their own health and that OF their neigh
bors- Likewise. each has contributed fl
quota 10 the creation OF the public sen
timenr which has resulted IN the passag
OF such benefclent measures as the IA
tioHal quarantine law, the pure-fOod law
and the meat-inspection law. But ha
they been working together as one har
nlonious whole the results accompIishe
might have been even more valuable L
the people and 70 the nation. This is II
view the Committee Of One Hundre
takes. al any rate. and which leads Il Z
advocate their consolidation
One OF these bureaus IS the Publ
Health and Marine Hospital Service. O
which Dr- Walter Wyman is the head
This bureau IS already acc0uplishin
many things IN the direction Of the aim
OF the Committee Of One Hundred Dl
Wyman has been the leading spirit Il
The pronunciation OF International healt
regulations. and has reduced the dar
gers Of the importation Of contagious dis
eases 10 & minimum His bureau Ia
made many Investigations as 70 II
spread OF coutagion- and at all times
ready 10 Cooperate with state boards @
health IN finding and eradicatiuE n
causes OF eDideniCs occurring With
States. It's recommendations as 10 tn
future are OF peculiar interest as shown
what lines OF activity governmental med
cine IS likely 70 follow in the years I
come
one OF these relates TO typhoid fever
and proposes that Federal regulations
adopted 10 prevent It's spread Last yea
a passenger vessel On the Great Lake
discharged a large number OF typhoi
cases at d number OF ports. At one Dor
there were twenty-five cases discharge
IN ten weeks. and II was estimated rha
the total number OF cases contracted O.
this vessel was seveEty-seven- Invest
cations show that other vessels hav
been similarly infected. and that rafl