The Washington herald., 1909-07-04
By JAMES B. MORROW.

ktSurauvely. and yet uteral.o, in a 4
sense. many little microscopes. toy rifles, |
seemingly. inverted in mimic warfare ]
with the sky, also froWn out upon the /
sea They are 10 discover. and thus 10 |
defeat, the invisible foes which, in like |
manner. may come over the waters. but |
in al sorts or ships.
So the shores, dropping far down the |
Atlantic and the Pacific and curvlng into
the Gulf OF Mexico, are vigflantly guard
- ny artillerymen and doctors. Cities
and towns, in their physical structure
are safe. Property has always been
bravely defended. Even the herdmen Of
Abram. rich in cattle and gold, and Of
Lot. opulent in hOcks and tents. fought
with clubs and stones. no dOUbt-Over
the pastures of Canaan.
Modern philosophy and practice value
man as alphabetically. at any rate
as sheep, oxen. asses, or camels. The
artfllerynen have had ready and cheer
ful millions 10 work with. Their lives
have gone into books and their photo
graphs into newspapers. Mars in Aueri-
ca has held his own with mythology and
history. In the interview am about to
write. my object shall be 20 show what
the obscure and unromantio government
doctor IS doing 20 prolong and protect
human life in the United States-to beat
the germs as they come swarming IN
from Europe. Asia. and the islands and
countries OF the South Atlantic
Little Army of Defense.
The little army OF defense against the
terrifying and deadly approach OF fever,
cholera. and the plague Is commanded
by Walter Wyman. NJ. D.. who IS Of
finally known as Surgeon General Of the
Public Health and the Marine Hospital
Service. He calls a messenger. Give
my compliments 10 Or. Brown" he says.
'and tell him I want 10 see him at 10
o'clock tomorrow morning yelling
TONS tone and manner could not have
been more punctiIious or martial Tho
atmosphere OF the Office IN which we talk
IS full Of battle; the man himself IS as
formal. precise, and final as a general
or an admiral.
Two lines Of resistance have been estab-
lshed against the alien microbe. YES
sels bearing immigrants from China,
Japan. India. Europe, Central and South
America. and the West Indies must
carry bills Of health signed by officers
Of the United States. There are Quaran-
tine doctors at every port Of entry IN
this country. Throughout the fruit sea-
son in the islands 10 the south, in Mex
ico, and South America, when vessels
must hurry 10 market with their cargOes,
special inspectors. as an additional pre-
caution, watch for cholera and yellow
fever
Disease getting past both lines OF de-
fense, Gen. Wyman leads the assault In
person. Subordinates operate under his
direction in the Philippines, Hawaii, and
Porto Rico He has 80 medical men on
his staff. and 1.740 persons are within
the limits Of his administration Twenty
two marine hospitals and ID relief stations
like a chain OF forts. are strung along
rivers, lakes, and oceans. At the hygienic
laboratory in this city sixty doctors. spe-
cialisJs, and clerks are constantly en-
gagged in investigating diseases and mat
ters relating TO the public health. The
bombardment Of Boston. New York. or
Philadelphia would cause a financial
panic. So would a well-developed cpl
demic Of cholera or yellow fever. There
IS good reason consequently, for calling
him Gen. Wyman.
Progress of Sanitary Science.
rs 1t likely I asked. that this coun-
try VIII ever suffer again from contagious
or infectious diseases which viii destroy
thousands OF human lives?''
1T would be unsafe and unwise 20
boast" Gen. Wyman answered, but
sanitary and medical science has made so
many discoveries that a devastating cpl
demic is hardly probable. Our knowl-
edge concerning diseases has increased
tremendously within recent years We
know, for instance, that cholera is a
water-borne Infection. and we have seen
a7d studied the organism which causes Il.
If a ship with cholera were 10 come 20
New York or San Francisco we should
remove the sick 70 hospitals The other
passengers 10 detention barracks. disin-
feet the ship, and empty all the pipes and
tanks containing drinking water. The
germs could not be taken ashore, you
see. and cholera would soon be cleared
ont on that particular vessel"
You had battle with the disease six !
teen years ago." I said
In the past cholera usually originated
IN Asia The following year ii would ap-
pear in European Turkey It would reach
the western part Of Europe the next year
and thence, in another twelve months,
would be brought to the United States
OF Canada. II was spread by drinking
water, just as yellow fever and malaria
are spread by mosquitoes. There was
cnolera in Hamburg. the chief seaport
OF Germany, IN 1902. The great eXposi-
ton In Chicago was 70 be held the next
summer. We were not only threatened
with a dreadful disease. but with the
loss of many millions OF dollars.
New Quarantine Measure.
The situation was so grave that PresI-
dent Harrison came 10 Washington from
his summer home 70 consult with :he
Secretary Of the Treasury and the At
torney General We had no national
quarantine law worthy OF the name at
that time. I wrote an order. and Presi-
dent Harrison signed It, holding ships
bringing immigrants from infected re-
giOns In quarantine for a period OF twenty
days The order stopped travel between
Hamburg and the United States because
q wait OF twenty days at anchor made
the transportation Of immigrants un-
profitable as a business. A few vessels
came and were held in the bay Of New
York Ny, plan may have looked like a
return Of the ancient Venetian regula-
ton. which required that plague ships
be kept at anchor, with no help from on
shore until the disease had run its
course. However we had the means of
caring for the sick as well as the vessel
Il contagion appeared. The next year
Congress enacted a comprehensive law
which, although recognizing the rights of
States. made the quarantine against dis
ease q matter Of national control We
escaped the cholera in 1885 and I am sure
we could do so again"
Can yellow fever be kept out Of the
Southern States?"
There never has been and there never
VIII be 100 per cent OF safety fl Quaran-
tine. Activity and watchfulness will al
ways be necessary However. we know
that mosquitoes alone cause the spread