The Detroit times., 1910-12-29
BY J. A. THOMPSON, M. o.

One person dies every minute '''
the United States of a preventable
disease.
Five persons become sick every
minute from diseases that could De
prevented, IL the precautions now
known to doctors could be used In all
cases.
The money loss from this needless
illness is more than a billion dollars
year
No individual effort can stop the
spread of contagious diseases In
community The government must
act through specially trained agents
That government control Is enectiVe
Is shown by the experience OF Aus
tralia and New Zealand. Their death
rate each year is about 10 per lOOO.
Our death rate about 10 per 1000. our
country is naturally as healthful as
any. SO we are losing 100000 people
annually whose deaths could be pre-
vented
Il the present time there are eight
bureaus in different departments or
our government dealing with ques'
tons OF health. They are disconnect-
ed. and do not work In harmony.
The highest governmental authority
in matters OF health is the secretary
OF the treasury. The secretary OF the
treasury is either lawyer or bank
err He is a. to listen to CONNER
cial interests rather than to health
officers
The spread OF the BLACK death"
the bubonic plague, in California,
shows the result OF valuing dollars
more than men. When the Chinese
quarters OF San Francisco were found
to be infected, the city board OF health
quarantined it. Influenced by the
merchants OF the city. a United States
circuit Judge dissolved the quarantine,
adding gratuitous insult to the
health officers by saying: Il should
hold that there is not and never has
been a case OF plague in this city"
Though it may seem strange TO the
learned Judge and similar omniscient
officials, the fear OF punishment for
contempt Of court did not prevent the
plague bacillus from multiplying and
claiming new victims.
The marine hospital service author
tiles promptly Quarantined the state.
State officers and commercial bodies
had enough influence with the secre-
t.: of the treasury TO get the surgeon
general overruled and news Of the
quarantine suppressed.
Finally the marine hospital service
did prevail upon the secretary to or
der an examination by experts. They
found numerous cases OF plague In
the heart OF San Francisco The quar-
antine law requires the immediate
publication OF such findings. The
treasury department suppressed this
report. Only after II had been given
publicly by medical journals OF wide
circulation was 1t allowed to appear
in government bulletins.
This policy OF concealing the truth
that trade might not be interrupted
has allowed the spread OF the plague
from Los Angeles to Seattle. 1t is
costing thousands Of dollars In futile
efforts 10 eliminate II. 1t could have
been controlled for few hundreds OF
dollars IL honestly handled when frst
found.
An experience OF this kind proves
the only defense OF one community
against infection in another Is health
officers not subject to control by COM
mercial interests. The highest au
thority on quarantine should be a SAN
itarian, not a lawyer or banker.
The purpose OF the Owen bill. now
before congress, is to promote efficien-
cy and economy by establishing de-
partment where all the agencies that
work for public health shall be united
under the authority of cabinet secre-
tary.
With cholera in our eastern ports,
there is no time for dallying. II his
tory should repeat itself and quaran-
tine be relaxed that trade may suffer
no inconve nience. the result may be
an epidemic that will STAY thousands.
The medical department OF our gov.
eminent may be trusted to do its part
well. II should be placed in q posi-
ton where 1t cannot be overruled by
the ignorant officials whom the law
now makes supreme.