Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-21
HEALTH TOPIC OF HACNGrES
Insurance Presidents Discuss Means
of PrOlOnging Life.
CAUSE OF TYPHOID scoURGE
DIR. ROsenau Declares COmditiOnH
Causing Disease Are National Dis
grace-Public Health AIi-
Iitia IL Proposed.

WASHINGTON. Jan. 2O-The movement
to prolong human life was the topic dis
cussed by. the various speakers at the
morning session today of the Association
of Life Insurance Presidents.
The report of the as9 extension COM
mittee of the association was presented by
George e. Ide chairmen Of the committee
The work OF the federal government in the
matter of health conservation and ways In
which this work may be supplemented was
discussed by DR.. Walter wyman. surgeon
general Of the public health and, marine
hospital service. s
DR.. H. ]. Rosenau Of Harvard Medical
college, the next speaker, told the life in
suranoe presidents that they could do much
in a campaign OF education. to teach the
people the value OF prevSx6lvs medicine
and that not only as organizations, but as
individual citizens they could help to foster
fruitful and useful legislation OF = public
health character.
Dr. e. w. Dwight of Boston declared
that the vast mine of information which
had been collected by life insurance com.
panies during the last sixty years could be
used to great advantage in the fight to
promote public health.
Typhoid National Disgrace.
There is more typhoid fever In this
country than in any other civilized land {"
said DR.. Rosenau. THE annual total ,s
5000 deaths and over $50, 900 cases. This is
national disgrace and due entirely TO lack
OF education on the subject We probablv
know more about typhoid and its methods
OF spread and means 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 case Of cholera there would soon
be an end of it.
Tn advocating a public health militia ia,
the cause OF preventive medicine, do not
mean a marching column of men In uni
forms armed with microscopes ana disin-
fectants. 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 only through educa-
ton.
Public Health Militia.
There are two important factors in pub
lie health work. One Is the gaining OF new
knowledge through scientific research; the
other is the diffusion of this knowledge
through education. With prophetic fore
sight and characteristic energy. Harvard
university has established q chair OF pre-
ventive medicine as an integral part of its
educational system. Not only the medical
profession, but the public at large should
be enlightened. The scientific and pro-
fessional corps may be the regular army,
but the public must be the reserve militia
In any effective warfare against disease.
When the people understand that ty-
phoid fever is as preventable as are rail-
road accidents we shall have a casus belli,
and the courage needed for victorious
campaign. The government now protects
us from cholera, leprosy yellow fever and
other exotic plaques; why should it not
also guard us against the dangers that
are present as well as those that are but
remotely imminent? Present dangers such
as tuberculosis, pneumonia, typhoid fever
and infantile diarrhoeas are infections
which reap the highest total OF death
among US and are foeman worthy OF our
best efforts"