Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-30
Definite LINES OF WORK
Public Health and Marine Hospital
Service to Draft Law.
LEGAL CONTROL OF DISEASE
Steps to Prevent Spread Through
Medium Of Milk-Suggestion
by DR.. Woodward.

To carry on the fight against typhoid
fever in the District of Columbia the
Commissioners will ask the public health
and marine hospital service to draft spe-
ci1c laws and regulations and suggest
definite lines of work which that service,
after three years of investigation, think
are necessary to check the disease.
The proposed laws and regulations de-
sired by the Commissioners will provide
for legal control of typhoid fever patients
and bacillus carriers.
The lines of work to prevent the spread
of the infection in milk the Commission
ers also want definitely indicated.
These two remedies-legal control over
typhoid fever sufferers and bacillus car
riers and steps to prevent the spread OF
the disease in milk-were suggested by
the report last week of the experts OF
the public health and marine hospital
service, in which were covered the re-
suits of the third year of investigation OF
the typhoid fever situation in the Ma
tional Capital. AS soon as the report
was received Commissioner Macfarland
asked the health officer to prepare draft
of such action might be taken by
the Commissioners to carry out the rec
concentrations of this latest report, as
the Commissioners have previously under
taken to carry out the recommendations
of tine first and second reports.
Health Office Suggestions.
Commissioner Macfarland today re-
ceived a reply from Health Officer Wood
ward. in which he recommends that the
public health and marine hospital serv-
ice besrequested to draft laws and regu-
lations for carrying out it's suggested
remedies Commissioner Macfarland
bar (SOn1niSSi0n6rS to
forward the request for the more definite
recommendations TO the public health
service.
Health Officer Woodwards report and
recommendations are:
1.-The final conclusion in this report tot
the public health service) Is as follows:
'Propaylaxis. The result of three
years of study shows that the disinfec-
inefficient or neglected. and that there Is
a need of legal control Of typhoid fever
patients and typhoid fever bacillus car
riers.
1--WE are convinced that a vigorous
campaign against typhoid fever as a
contagious disease and the adoption of
measures that would prevent the spread
of the infection in milk would eliminate
the greater part of typhoid fever from
the District of Columbia
Two Recommendations.
81 respectfully recommend that the
surgeon general of the public health and
marine hospital service be requested to
furnish the Commissioners with a draft
of such new laws and regulations, sus-
ceptible OF enforcement. as. in his judG-
ment. are needed to secure such legal
control of typhoid fever patients and ty-
phoid bacillus carriers as ne had In mind
when he forwarded. to the Commissioners
the report in which said conclusion was
embodied.
81 recommend also that he be requested
to state definitely what measures that
would prevent the spread of infection In
milk he had in mind at that time. With
out such definite information. it is clearly
impossible for the Commissioners even to
consider intelligently the advisability Of
carrying logically into effect the conclu-
sions in said report.
The proof sheets Of the report, which
accompanied this letter. have been re-
| tanned in the health Office for further
study and reference.