Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-09-28
WILEY TALKS Of
NATIONS HEALTH
Attacks Vigorously the Manufac.
turer Who Sells Adulterated
Foods and Drugs.

Kansas City. Sept. ga great
crowd tonight heard Dr. Harvey w.
Wiley. chief Of the bureau of chemis-
try, deliver n speech on the Health Of
tho People" feature Of the speech
was attack on tho manufacturer
who sells adultcrated foods and drugs
and corrupter Of public morals"
and a corruptor Of public morals"
Or. Wiley told the conservation con-
gress that the health of the nation was
worth s54o,o cocoon. He made this esti-
mate on the basis of goo per capita aver
age annual earning of adults. This dec
laration was made in an address in
which he advocated limitation of mar
riagc to normal and healthy individuals,
segregation of tunercular and typhoid
fever and leper cases, establishment of a
fever and lepor cases, esta blishment OF 81
national department of health and rigid
enforcement of pure food and drug laws.
DR.. Wiley said that IF in tho re-
mote future coal. iron. gold and sill
YER should become extinct. science
would provide suhstitutes," and that
science would secure the maintenance
and increase of the wealth in fores:
field and streams.
Put there is another natural asset"
lie continued "lying at the very basis o,
the prosperity Of the country, which Is
sometimes overlooked. namely the nor
NAL functoning Of the human machine,
commonly expressed by the term
health. This has more to do with the
happiness prosperity and utility of the
| human organism than any Of the other
natural assets which | have mentioned. :"
The dangers, which confront this vast
asset OF the nation, he said were the in
/ heritance of disease or of weakened
bodies, poor nutrition, unwholesome and
! adulteratcd food, the taking OF diseases
/ by infection and unsaniiary conditions
the latter caused by overcrowdlng in
big cities and by lack of hygienlc know
/ ledge in the country districts.
In order TO unifY the national and
state activities making for the public
health" he declared, the establishments
OF national department q health Is al
most necessity. DO not be deferred by
tho cry which goes up Of doctors trust.
| The wise physicians are in favor Of such
/ "A department not because II is a 'physi-
clans trust but because It is for the good
Of the people
"The selfish physician will he e-,ad
n
fairs continue because II tends to pro-
duce disease and thus thio into his
hahos an increased practice.
The altruistic physician believes in
prophylaXls rather than in thcrapeut-
les He is willing to sacrifice his own
income in his devotion to the public
service.
congress should take early stems
towards securing in the councils of tho
nation an adviser to the President
charged with the protection Of the
health Of the people ana the proper
education OF the people in matters
relating to their wcll-being. both NOR.
al and physical What is needed is to
bring together all tho activities of tho
national government into one depart
ment, having the pres 'ge and power
Of presidential ndvisemont"
Vigorously did DR. Wiley attack as n
thief and a corrupter Of public morals
the manufacturer who sells aduItera ed
foods and drugs. The human animal, h,
declared, is entitled to a pure and whole.
rome diet The drug store and the
grocery store" he said should be dis
tnct concerns and not sell each other.
wares. The man who converts peanu,
I shells into pepper on the ground that tn,
poor man Is not able to buy pure pepper
Is a thief and corrupter Of public NOR
ais The rich man possibly may be abb,
to afford peanut shells, but the poor mar
! never. The man who dilutes the mill
. waters the stock OF the wealthiest com
. pany In the world
'Especially Is this principle true" 10
declared. "ns regards children ana n
! penalty is too severe for the man VIII
! deliberately puts poisonous dye int