El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-02-10

F PRESIDENT TAFT'S forthcoming
Z recommendations to congress are
followed out by that body the
United States will at last have a great
health organization commensurate with
the needs of the nation.
The department of agriculture can
send vaccine virus for the protection
or farmers cattle from blackleg, but
only in a most indirect way can the
health agencies take any steps to pro-
tect that farmers children from small
pox or scarlet fever. The government
stands pOwerless to check the ravages
OF tuberculosis in the human family,
although it can turn back the spread
of Texas fever among cattle by draw
ing quarantine line north of which
southern cattle may not go, except I'M
der well-defined protective conditions.
Marine Hospital Service.
But this is by no means the only
feature Of the existing health laws of
the nation which call for a radical
change. There are a number Of bureaus
now in operation in the government
that are concerned principally with
health matters.
The public health and marine hospi-
tai service ranks first among these.
Under the able administration of sur
geon general Walter Wyman this ser
vice has made itself invaluable to the
nation at large. Its work in stamp
ing out the yellow fever epidemic in
the south a few years ago, it's labors in
protecting San Francisco from the
threatened outbreak of pestilences after
the earthquake. its efforts to bring
about Standardization of all the
heroic remedies and the purity Of all
viruses for vaccination and anti
toxins, no less than its duty Of visit
ing every ship that comes to an Amer
lean port to make sure that Quaran-
tine laws are observed, have all been
done so successfully that it has been
justly styled Americas flying squad
ron for the defence of the national
health.
Medical Corps.
The war department has its medical
corps which has distin guished itself
in many hand TO hand conflicts with
disease and death. The triumphs of it's
sanitary work in Cuba, where the
death rate in Havana was cut in twain
in a single year, represents a great vic
troy for public health over the hosts
of pestilence.
The work of Maj. Walter Reed and
his co-daborers in proving to the salts
faction of every medical man the truth
of the mosquito theory of yellow fever
transmission, constitutes one Of the
most brilliant chapters in the book OF
human progress. The labors of the
army doctors on the Isthmus Of Pana-
ma, where the Reed theories were
again applied TO practice, have borne
glorious fruitage. The navy, also has
its medical corps, its hospitals and its
dispensaries.
Bureau of Chemistry.
The department of agriculture has its
bureau of chemistry, and under the
administration of Dr.. Wiley this
bureau has effected a veritable revolu-
ton in the dispensing of food products.
By striving TO guarantee to the people
protection from misbranded and mis-
represented products, and securing
legislation to that end, this bureau has
made itself force that affects every
human being in the country.
The census office in the department
of commerce and labor. gathers the
mortality statistics of the nation
which reveal the state OF the public
health. Thus four of the departments
of the government have more or less
direct relation TO the public health.
With each of these agencies active In
its work, it is inevitable that there
should be great overlapping of duties,
a continual repetition of labor. With
no coordination among them, three de-
partments at once may be making in
dependent investigation of the relation
of the water supply to typhoid fever. |
At least three of these bureaus may be |
studying the relation between milk |
and tuberculosis at the same time. 1t !
is inevitable under these conditions !
that much money is expended in dup |
LEGATION of research. money that is /
sorely needed on account Of the eco
nomical policy OF congress at present
Concentrate Effort.
With all these agencies concentrated /
under one head, with each of them
working in proper cooperation with
the others. the same money and the
same effort now expended would yield
much greater returns in reduced NOR
tally and increased longevity. It was
to foster the idea OF such a consolida-
ton of health agencies that the COM
nittee of one hundred on national !
health was crea ted.
This organization has been active TO
such a degree that II IS believed its /
which have the ap-
prevail OF president Taft. will be enact
d into law before the present session of
congress adjourns. This committee has
,ver 5000 names on its mailing list, and :
I has proved q great force in the edu-