The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-06

of activity governmental medicine is likely to follow in the years to come
 One of these relates to typhoid fever, and proposes that Federal regulations be adopted to prevent Its spread. Last year a passenger vessel on the Great Lakes discharged a large number of typhoid cases at a number of ports. At one port there were twenty-two cases discharged In ten weeks, and it was estimated that the total number of cases contracted on this vessel was seventy-seven. Investigations show that other vessels have been similar ly infected, and that railroad trains may be responsible for many cases of contagious disease by reason of care lessness In the handling of water and ice for drinking purposes.
 A recommendation Is made for the prevention of the pollution of streams which cross State lines. The bureau is working toward the education of the masses in the matter of pure wa ter and uncontaminated milk. It finds its opportunities for accomplishing this severely limited by the refusal of Congress to make the necessary ap4 propriations for a broader dissemina- ton of the information 1t has gath cred.
 In addition to the Bureau of Public Health and Marine Hospital s.. vice, a portion of the work of the Bureau of Animal Industry would probably culture and assigned to the new De- partment. This bureau has to do with meat inspection and the investigation of milk supplies 1t has found that one of the first things to be done to protect the national health Is to prop erly guard the milk supply. Last year 1t investigated the dairies supplying oil AS Yna .t..~~ a. that the average rating of the who list was only 45 points out of a pos sible 100. It found that 20 per cent. of the cows furnishing Washington milk have tuberculosis. yet it expresses the belief that the condition of the dairies supplying Washington Is as good as that of the average city.
 Another bureau which would un- doubtedly be added to the new depart ment Is the Bureau of Chemistry. now part of the Department of Agricul- ture. This is Dr. Wiley's famous bu- reau. the home of the poison squad" This bureau has been a great govern mental influence in spreading the Eos- pei of pure food among the people. pr. Wiley has been dubbed a crank by unbelievers. but the work of his bu- reau goes on just the same. Ills poison squad experiments have been unique. but at the same time they have been the most thorough experi- ments ever made by any government, and many valuable lessons have been learned from them. The German gov-' ernment had made some experiments along the same lines, but when Dr. Wiley visited Berlin to learn about these he found them wholly out of keeping with the reputation of Ger man chemists for thorough and ex- haustive investigation, so he came back and went through the whole work himself
 His experiments have demonstrated that many harmful preservatives were used in food, and have resulted in the prohibition of the use of borax saIy- ellie acid, sulphuric acid and form aldehyde for such purposes The Bu- reau of Chemistry has done much in determining what constitutes harm ful preseWatives, in determining the relative nutritiYe values of food and in educating the masses against adul- terated food, yet there Is even more to do. It Is expected that with all of these governmental bureaus con- solidated, and their energies allied in one grand effort to master the secrets of public health, and teach these se- crets to the people, the United States will outdistanee all other nations in contributing to the health and well. being of mankind.
 The enactment of a law consolIdat- ing these bureaus probably would carry with 1t enlarged power and greater appropriations in order that the proposed department could carry the investigation of the question of public health farther and enforce rita findings wherever interstate health ia concerned. The Republican platform declares: We commend the efforts designed to secure greater efficiency in national public health agencies. and favor such leglslation as viii erect this purpose" The Democfatfc s.niat- form says: We advocate the organ ization of all existing national public health agencies into national health bureau, which shall have power over sanitary conditions connected yT,,th factories. mines, tenements. child la bor. and such other subjects aa are properly within the Jurisdiction of tba Federal government and do not inter- fere with State control of public health agencies"
 If the proposed department proNts by the example of the pepartment of Agriculture and reaches out to upltft the individual It probably will be able before a generation has passed away to bring about health conditions of which our fathers never dreamed, Dirt and dlsAase go hand in hand. The gospel of health is personal and pub lic cleanliness. The next session of Congress probably will give the na- tion the means of ineuieatInR this new evangel in the hearts of the peo- pie.
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