Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-13

fszz=1a f PRESIDENT TAFTS forth
us All coming recommendations to con-
IN al gress are followed out by that
III EAI body the United States will at
Ihs kAI last have a great health organ
lg4HSeal ization commensurate with the
needs of the nation. The de-
partment of agriculture can send vac
cine virus for the protection OF Iaf-
mer's cattle from blackleg, but only IN
a moss indirect way can the health
agencies take any steps to protect that
farmers children from smallpox or
scarlet fever. The government stands
powerless to check the raYages OF tu-
berculosis in the human family al.
though it can turn back the spread OF
Texas fever among cattle by drawing
a quarantine line north of which south
ern cattle may not go, except under
we'll defined protective conditions.
But this is by no means the only lea-
ture of the existing health laws OF the
nation which call for radical change
There are a number of bureaus now III
operation in the government that are
concerned principally with health mat
ters. The public health and marine
hospital service ranks first among
these. Under the able administration
of Surgeon General Walter Wyman
this service has made itself invaluable
TO IlG udLlOI1 Ill ldISts 10 Won
stamping out the yellow fever epidemic
in the south few years ago, its la
bors in protecting San Francisco from
the threatened outbreak of pestllence
after the earthquake, its efforts 10
bring about a standardization ana antl-
toxins, no less than its duty OF VISIT
ing every ship that comes to an Amer
lean port to make sure that quarantine
laws are observed, have all been done
e,.1J- l,oe.
styled Americas flying squadron Tor
the defense of the national health
The war department has its medical
corps which has distinguished itself III
many hand to hand conflicts with dis
ease and death. The triumphs OF It's
sanitary work in Cuba, where the death
rate in Havana was cut in twain in
single year, represents a great victory
for public health over the hosts of
pestilence The work of Major Walter
Reed and his co-laborers in proving to
the satisfaction 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 Ia
bors of the army doctors on the 18TH
mus of Panama, where the Reed the-
ories were again applied to practice
also has it's medical corps, its hospt-
tails and it's dispensaries.
The department Of agriculture has its
bureau of chemistry and under the ad-
ministration of DIR. Wiley this bureau
has effected a veritable revolution in
the dispensing of food products. BY
striving to guarantee to the people
protection from misbranded and mis-
represented products, and securing leg
;r1a - lot fhie h1IrPa1 has
made itself a force that affects every
human being in the country The cen-
sus office in the department of conn.,
merce and labor gathers the mortality
statistics of the nation which reveal
the state of the public health. Thus
four of the departments of the govern
ment have a more or less direct rela-
tion 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 Investigations of the rela-
ton 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 luGNl NlldDIE uItbCI liiGSV COlloiIiCiAN7
that much money is expended in dup
lication of research. money that is
sorely needed on account of the econ
omic policy of congress at present.
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 mortality
and increased longevity. 1t was to
foster the idea of such consolidation
of health agencies that the committee
of one hundred on national health was
created. This organization has been
active to such a degree that it is be-
lieved it's recommendations, which have
the approval of President Taft, will be
enacted into law before the present
session of congress adjourns. This
committee has over 5000 names on its
mailing list. and it has proved a great
force in the education of public senti-
ment in favor of proper health
measures.
One scarcely realizes how much is