The Washington herald., 1908-01-13

The annual report OF the Surgeon Gen
eral of the Public Health and Marine Hos
pital Service for the fiscal year 1891 was
. transmitted 10 Congress during the past
week by the Secretary Of the Treasury.
The Surgeon General refers to the
Bureau of Public Health established by
Congress. and states that the five years
of administration under this law have
demonstrated its utility. Through the
hygienic laboratory, which has an ad-
visory board composed of members at
tached to other leading laboratories, the
scientific work of the service has been
carried on effectively, and through the
law providing for conferences with State
boards Of health more intimate relations
have been established with the latter
with regard to practical sanitation and
hygiene.
The bureau has a broad foundation in
law. but additional legislation is requested
for the development Of its functions.
A review Of the work OF the year in
Cludes the careful investigation Of typhoid
fever In the District Of Columbia and the
publication of a bulletin thereon.
Investigation of Milk Industry.
ike investigation has been made OF
the milk industry from farm to con-
sumner By special direction Of the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury and the President.
and with the cooperation of the Bureau
Of Animal Industry, the Bureau Of Chem
istry of the Agricultural Department and
the health department of the District Of
Columbia. A bulletin covering the sub
ject is about TO be issued.
Careful supervision has been maintain
ed over the manufacture of vaccine virus
and curative serums, especially diph-
liberia antit0Xin, in fourteen establish
ments in the United States. one in Ger
many and one in England: q standard
has been established for tetanus anti
toxin, used in the treatment Of tetanus
or lOckjaW
HOOkwOrm Disease and Child Labor.
Another important work has been the
investigation of hookwork disease. par
ticularly ia relation to child labor in
mills. The unfortunate physical cOndi-
tion OF so many of the child workers in
the mills has been found to be due In
large measure to this disease.
The disease itself IS readily durable, and
as one Of the chief factors in its spread is
soil pollution the insanitary conditions
responsible FOR its prevalence are rene /
diable.
a case of fatal plague was reported in
San Francisco in May, 1867, but no other
case was reported until August S. Up TO
date of the report November 70. 1900
there had been ninety-siX cases and sixty
deaths.
The Surgeon General asserts that it will
Of necessity require long time for COM
plete eradication. This Is better under 1
stood by reason Of the fact that the dis /
Fease prevails among rats and that the 4
1eas on the rats convey the disease from F.
one rat to another and TO human beings.
Sanitation of jamestown Exposition. /
The sanitation of the jamestown Expo 4
stion was successfully accomplished /
through a medical officer Of the service. 1
detailed by request of the governing /
board as sanitary director Through /
sanitary measures the site was entirely
freed from mosquitoes, and. by careful 4
examination of water and food supplies /
the exposition grounds were kept re- /
markably free from sickness.
The leprosy investigation station on the /
island of Molokai Hawaiian Islands, it is /
thought. will be completed within a year .
The national quarantine service now has /
jurisdiction over the whole of the Pacific
Coast. the Gulf coast. with the excep-
tion of Texas; the Atlantic coast, with 7.
the exception Of Baltimore, New York.
Boston. and a few Of the neighboring
minor ports.
These remaining State or local stations,
however are required TO enforce the ma
tional regulations.
At ten fruit ports in Central and South
a cff
toned to guarantee the safety Of the fruit
vessels before leaving for ports in the
United States.
Favorable comment is made upon. the
quarantine administration by officers of
the service at the seven marine quaran-
line stations in the Philippine Islands:
also at the seven stations in the Ha-
waiian Islands and the eight stations in
Porto Rico.
Officers are also stationed at the prin-
cDal ports Of Japan and China, one at
Calcutta, and one at Naples, to enforce
quarantine regulations and examine emf
grants departing for the United States.
Medical Inspection of Immigrants.
One million, two hundred and eighty
FIVE thousand three hundred and forty
nine immigrants We're inspected by medi-
cal officers of the service at the different
ports Of arrival In the United States dur
ing the year,
in the z marine hospitals and the 123
marine hospital stations. So. .113 patients re-
ceived treatment. and /. .S21 surgical opera
tions requiring the use Of anesthetics were
performed during the year. The new hos
pital at Savannah, Ca, was opened No
vember :, 1906
The Surgeon General invites attention
10 the aid given by his corps to other
branches of the government service.
Three officers Of large experience have
served with the Isthmian Canal Commits
sion from the inception OF the canal work
and have performed important service IN
the quarantine protection and sanitation
of the Canal Zone.
The officer IN charge of the quarantine
in the Philippines has for two years also
been director Of health for the Philippine
Islands.
The reports OF medical officers on reve-
nue. cutters cruising in Alaskan waters
and Bering Sea contain information con
concerning diseases among natives. of
Alaska and conditions affecting the vel
fare Of sailors on whaling vessels.
Surgeon General Recommends.
In his recommendations the Surgeon
General calls particular attention to ty-
pho!d fever and the necessity of a regu-
lation under the Interstate clause Of the
quarantine law OF 1893. providing for the
examination Of the water and food sup
ply On vessels engaged in interstate traf-
fic, and also the water supplies on rail-
way passenger trains. A regulation has {
beer prepared, but attention Is called to
the fact that there is no penalty al