The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-06-25
PHYSICIAN NJ AXE
STRONG PLEA FOR
CREMAT |ON
Living Must Be Protected From
Spread of Disease by the Dead,
Declares DR.. Henry F. Staples,
of Cleveland.
Advocates School for Training of
Public Health 0fficers-Homeo-
paths Revise Code.

The establishment in every state or
a school for the training of public
health officers was strongly urged by
DIR. Henry Franklin Staples. OF Cleve-
land In an address on Public Health
before the Bureau OF Sanitary Science
and Public Health, OF the American
Institute OF Homeopathy. Friday after
noon. As he is chairman OF the Du-
reau. the recommendation Is hkeiy 10
carry considerable weight DR.. Staples
also urged cremation as the ideai
method OF disposing OF dead bodies,
declaring that public safety demands
the protection OF the living against
the dead His address was one OF the
most important OF the convention.
Speaking on the first proposition.
DR., Staples said;
What we need greatly is school
for state medicine, where men may
be trained TO be health officers. Ihen
and not until then will the health or
the people OF this great country Do
safeguarded.
Schools have been established FOR
special instruction In almost every oe'
Iartment OF medicine except state
medicine. To be sure, we have &c
partments where sanitation Is taught
in general way, and we have the
Rockefeller laboratory for special re-
search. but we need a school where
men may be taught and trained 10 be
expert sanitarians.
Public health officers OF today
should not only know how 10 prevent
ah ha ohio 70 master
the broad, economic and social pron-
lens OF our modern life. He should De
versed In the different phases OF such
educational and social questions as
concern the habits % the people III
our large. crowded cities. OF the tene-
ment house evils in the congested dis
tricts. OF the importance OF pure 1000
aud the danger or contaminated Wa
ter supply He should be ever ready
TO cope with epidemics. which OFTEN
occur in great, congested centers, ana,
above all. he should be able TO reach
the people and gain their cooperation
In carrying out the principles of SAM
tation."
strongly Advocates Cremation.
On the subject OF cremation, DR..
Staples had this TO say:
Sanitation has done much In the
last few years to protect the healthy
person from the sick but It has done
little or nothing 10 shield him from
the dead. In fact. we have retrograd-
ed in this respect. for many OF the
ancient races took better care OF their
dead. TO prevent them from spread
ing disease, than we do In this en-
lightened age We are still burying
our dead in superficial graves. where
they may spread disease TO all man
kind.
Cremation is a far better mode or
disposlng OF the dead than inhuma
ton. II prevents the spread OF CON
tagious diseases by the destruction
OF the germ. II Is far better from an
economic point OF view, the cost being
far less, and this is no small item
when It is considered that modern
burial methods often impose grea;
hardships on the poor. Then. too, it
is better from an esthetic point Of
view.
Illumination Is n slow and crema
ton is a rapid process OF oxidation, n
simpler. surer, purer manner OF rem