Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-03
EXCESSIVE FEAR, HE SAYS
DANGER FROM MILK SMALL

Few Adults Contract the Disease as
Result Of Bovine
Infection.
!
Making a strong plea for justice to all
.sconsumptives, and characterizing some of
: the so-called precautions observed against
tuberculosis as ''phthisiophobia'' in its
. worst form, DR.. S. Adolphus Knopf of
New York created a considerable sensa-
/; ton this morning in the National Asso-
citation for the study and prevention of
: Tuberculosis. DR.. Knopf did not in any way
offer criticism for the campaign of educa-
tion which the association Is conducting
throughout the country. but he did offer
severe condemnation for such evidences
OF excessive fear of tuberculosis as have
been illustrated in the attitude of the
authorities of several western states.
Particularly did he criticise the state
board of medical examiners of Okla
] homa, who, he said, adopted a regulation
about a year ago forbidding any physi-
clan from securing license to practice
In that state who was suffering from
consumption, or who had been in close
: three years previous to the fling of his
application.
Ridicules Nebraska Law.
. Similarly DR.. Knopf held up to ridicule
the attitude of the state of Nebraska
, toward tuberculosis, and he described a
law passed by the legislature of that
state at its last session which requires
that INDECENT consumptives, treated at
the expense of the several counties in
hospitals selected by the state board of
health, must receive treatment by Inn
! munization or vaccine therapy in addf-
tion to open-air and other sanitary meth
DDS. In cOntradistinction to the state
phthisiophobia" of Oklahoma, DIR. Knopf
characterized the situation in Nebraska
AS state phthisiophalia.'' or excessive
overcare of the consumptive.
DR.. Knopf offered two resolutions to be
presented before the association. deplor-
board of medical examiners and also or
) the Nebraska legislature, the latter las
Z premature, unwise and tending to do in
Justice to the consunlptive poor"
l. Officers Elected.
ton. reorganized after the election of
fourteen new members for the ensuing
term yesterday, held meeting at
o'clock this afternoon and elected the fol-
lowing officers for the year: President.
DR.. Wslliam HI. WEIGH of Baltimore; first
vice president. DR.. Victor C. Vaughan of
Ann Arbor; second vice president. DR..
George Dock of New Orleans: secretary.
DIR. H. B. Jacobs of Baltimore; treasurer.
Gen. George NJ. Sternberg of Washington;
executive committee. Drs. William H.
Baldwin of Washington. H. NJ. Biggs of
New York ,, E. G. Janeway of New York.
Kober of Washington. ]. n. Hurry of In
|. dianapolis and Joseph Walsh of Phila-
t,;elphia.
= The association adopted the following
resolution favoring Fairgrounds in the
District of Columbia and elsewhere:
THAT this association observed with
: great interest and satisfaction the marked
and particularly in the District Of Column
( hia. during the past year of the play
aground movement, and expresses the
earnest hope that the national Congress
Z continuing and extending in the District
! Of Columbia these opportunities for
heaIthful open-air exercises ard play"
Besides DIR. Knoprs paper the principal
s; oday revolved round the question whether
= tuberculosis is caused by milk or meat
infected from bovine sources.
DR.. William HI. Park of New York read
{ ical section of the congress. and one OF
the most important conclusions which he
offered was included in the statement
Z that only p. per cent OF all tuberculosis
lin New York city comes from Injected
milk, butter or meat from bovine sources
Found Mainly In Children.
. Moreover, said DR.. Park. this small
percentage is found mainly In children.
In other words, pulmonary tuberculosis
: among adults is contracted solely from
human beings and Is not the result Of
Impure milk or foods.
Or. Park supported throughout his pa
per the contention advanced by DR.. Rob
: ert Koch of Berlin, the discoverer Of the
tuberculosis germ, when he stood prac-
. tically alone in declaring that cattle did
not transmit pulmonary tuberculosis to
human oeings.
The significance Of these conclusions,
it was pointed out. will be to direct all
the energy of the campaign against
tuberculosis to combating the spread Of
this disease among human beings. by
preventing splitting, bad housing. over
work and other conditions bad for the
health.
ISOLATION last night and a resolution was
adopted declaring that apparently only
small percentage OF such cases. especially
tuberculosis of the lymph nodes in chill
dren under five years OF age, is due to
infection by tubercule bacilli of bovine
origin. This was in direct opposition to
the views held by many scientists and
doctors. who have studied the disease and
its causes. The resolution. however. was
adopted without opposition. Pasteuriza-
ton of milk. but under official supervi-
sion. was recommended in the resolution.
Insurance Against Tuberculosis.
Legislative provision for a special tax
on pay rolls to provide for insurance
against tuberculosis was one Of the sug-
gestions made last night by Dr. Lee X.
Frankel at the meeting Of the advisory
council.
At the business meeting of the associa-
ton DR.. William Charles White of Pitts
burg was elected chairman of the ad-
visory committee Fourteen new direct
ors Of the association were elected as
follows: William H. Baldwin. this city:
Dr. Thomas D. Coleman. Augusta, Ga:
William K. Bixby. st. Louis; DIR. Alfred
= Meyer. New York: Drs. Henry B. Favill
: and julius Rosenwald. Chicago; Alexan-
der NJ. Wilson. Philadelphia; DIR. G. Wal
ter Holden. Denver: DR., -eorge Dock.
8 New Orleans: jeffrey r. Bracket Bos-
ton; DR.. F. F. Wesbrook. Minneapolis,
and Dr. Walter Wyman, head of the pub