The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-01-24
THERE ARE NOW MORE CASES
OF THIS DISEASE IN AMERICA
VIEWS Of HARVARD EXPERT
Death Rate From Typhoid fever
Alone is Thirty-five Thousand An
nualIy-Due 20 Lack OF Education
on the Subject.

Washington, Jan. There is
more typhoid fever in this country
than in any other civilized land.
said DR.. II. j. Roscnau of the Har-
ward Medical School, Boston. Mass.
in an address delivered in this city
today before the third annual meet
ing of the Association Of Life In
surancc Presidents. The annual
total Is $4,000 deaths and over 800.
600 cases This is National dis.
grace and is due entirely to lack of
education on the subject. We prob.
ably know more about typhoid and
its methods of spread and the mean
for its control than We do of any
other disease. Yet right here in our
capital city there is an excessive
amount of typhoid, and this sad
story finds repetition in all our large
cities. II the public were taught
To- fear typhoid as 1t does a cas-"
OF cholera there would soon be- an
end Of il.
In advocating a public health mi
litia in the cause of preventive medi-
cine I do not mean marching col
umn of men in uniforms armed with
microscopes and disinfectants. The
public health militia that have in
mind calls for the enrolment of all
good citizens Preventive medicine
is the watChwOrd of the hour and
enlistment In the cause can come on
ly through education.
There are two important factors
in public health work. One Is the
gaining of new knowledge through
scientific research, the other is the
diffusion of this knowledge through
education. With prophetic foresight.
and characteristic energy Harvard
University has established a chair
of preventive medicine as an into.
gral part OF It's educational system
Not only the medical profession, but
the public at large. should be en-
lghtcncd The scientific and profes-
sional corps may be the regular
army, but the public must be the
reserve militia in any effective war.
fare against disease.
When the people understand that
| typhoid fever is as prevcntable as
are railroad accidents we shall have
a casus belli, and the courage need
ed for a victorious campaign. The
government now protects MS from
cholera, lcprosy yellow fever and
/ other exotic plaques, why should
IL not also guard us against the dan
gers that are present as well as
those that are but remotely immi-
nent? Present dangers such as tu-
bCrculosis. pcnumonia, typhoid fever
g,T In
tions which reap the highest toll OF
death among us and are foeman
worthy of our best efforts.
When this matter Is better under
stood the state will be required TO
protect its citizens against such pre-
vcntable diseases and the officials
appointed to safeguard us will be
| held responsible JusI as the law nov
/ holds employers liable for preven
| table accidents. Organizations like
/ life insurance companies with theil
/ legions of doctors, armies of agents
and hosts of patrons could lend an
! effective and useful hand in this
! worthy warfare against disease. The
! life insurance officials. not only as
organizations, but as individual citi
zcns, could and should help in this
campaign of education, and ought I,
foster fruitful and useful Legislation
o. public health character
1T is the plain duty of the pub
lie health militia 10 see that ou
governing bodies. whether the FEEDER
al government. the state legislature
o. the municipal assemblies, enac
public health measures of an obvious
useful and tried nature and also pro
vide for their enforcement"