The Detroit times., 1910-07-25
CLEAN UP,' IS THIS
OFFICIAL 5 SLOGAN
DR.. Rucker, Health Expert Secured
From U. s. Government, Is Doing
Things in Milwaukee.
BY DOROTHY DALE.

MILWAUKEE,, July ga prec-
edent OF national and international
importance was set by the Socialists
OF Milwaukee when they brought Dr.
Colby Rucker, an officer OF the United
states public health and marine ser
vice. to take charge OF the health de-
partment here. Ii Is the first time
that a city has called on the govern
ment for help IN health matters ex-
cent In time OF disease epidemic.
The appointment was the first step
In carrying out the policy OF the So
cialists that a city government u q
great trust that should be run with all
the benefits to the people, and that II
should be captained by experts, just
as other trusts are, who can get the
best results economically.
But economy does. not mean neg
lecting the needs of the people In any
way" explains Mayor Seidel. The
last health officer turned $4,000 back
into the treasury, while the sanitary
conditions of our hospitals, where
poor, sick children are housed, are in
a frightful state"
Had stamped Out Yellow Fever.
DR.. Rucker was stationed at San
Francisco when the Socialists sent In
their call for him. He had served at
New Orleans In stamping out yellow
fever. He had gone through two
bubonic plague epidemlcs IN San Fran
cisco, and after the last had been the
discoverer OF the California ground
squirrel as the carrier OF the dread
disease. He was determining the SOUR
rel infected area when the call IRON
Milwaukee came. II was only by car
rying his demand past Surgeon Gen
eral Wyman to President Taft that
Mayor Seidel succeeded in getting DR.
Rucker.
DIR. Rucker Is a young man who IL
not addicted to offlce-chairism. He's
up pointing things out on a map, pro
ducing the records, or taking you to
the spot OF discussion while he's talk
ing. He goes right out TO look for
things himself. That's how he found
the ground squirrel that has become
az great q menace to California as any
plague-suffering crew that ever drop
ped into San Francisco bay from the
ports of the orient.
In the short time he has been In
Milwaukee. DR.. Rucker has poked In
to almost every corner OF the city, and
has set right to work getting wrongs
righted.
Believes IN Cooperation.
Although not Socialist. he believes
that the betterment of a city car
come only Though cooperation. He
has found 1t. He sent letter to Nil
waukee physicians that the city's
laboratory for making blood cultures
the quickest way TO determine typhoid
fever was at their disposal. AS a re-
suit, the number OF cases of disease
reported has Doubled, and he knows
what the real conditions he has to
fight are. The typhoid condition means
filtration plant, he says.
"In one of the isolation hospitals
found the crowdlng so extreme that
the day nurse in the scarlet fever
ward had to sleep In the room with
patients" he said. Sanitary condi
tons were so bad that there was only
one toilet for II children. The suffer
ing OF the poor little tots on account
Of IL was pitiful. / also found the chill
dren had to use bath that was used
by patients with other communicable
diseases. Windows were also not al
screened. We are going 20 have re
pairs made at once and a shower bath
put In for the use of suspicious cases
so there will be no danger of com
munication."
While he talked he was getting
ready to start out investigating.
Rags" he said Come and see with
me IL women and children are SORTING
the refuse Of Milwaukee homes in 9
dark cellar so that the Europeans may
make us cheap cloth out Of them"
The rag sheds were In the heart o
good Milwaukee residence district
on the west-side. That's what alleys
do for city. The sheds were piled
with gunnysacks Out OF them stuck
hoofs of animals, scraps OF old iror
and rags OF every kind But there
were no women or children working
In the basement, lighted only by q
trap door. as there had been fen
days ago.
Good" said DIR. Rucker. That much