The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-19
We ARE NATION
OF DRUG F|ENDS"
Never Satisfied Unless Taking
Little Something Tor
Everything.
NO THOUGHT OF HEALTH


i'RVNadI ~ IG IlcS-IDiSu2tCN-
New York, February 1S.--Af.cr DR.
II. ". Wiley. noted chemis, Of the DC
partmcnt Of Agriculture. had declared
that VIC are a nation Of drug nends'
and arc wasting billions OF dollars ON.
ing to careless regard for health, DR.
tnSene IL. Porter. Commissioner Of
t'calth Of New York state; Professor
a. :. obott, of the department Of ny.
sienc al tho University of Pcnnsyl-
%vania: George L. Flanders. president
81 the Association OF State and Ma
tional Food and Dairy Departments
and other eminent mon at the luncheon
at the Republican Club to-day, made
insistent demands for a national
health board.
We don't seem TO care anything
about our health" said DIR. Wiley.
W are the drug habit nation. sc
don't feel satisfied unless VIC take
something Tor everything. Nc arc
q country of drug iiends, drug slaves.
The present indiscriminatc sale OF
drugs threatens the public health fully
rs seriously as does impure food.
We'd all be better off in this coun-
try If we had no alcohol. Nc can Dc
without it. and I'd like to see uni.
vcrsal prohibition. Even the German
Emperor agrees with me on that point
II Is fortunate for him that his Office
- hSS I'll! aSftNllNt oilt Ill w JUN III
the best thing for us If We would
close UP every brewery and distillery
In this country. Alcohol is ono OF The
drugs-only one-thats sappiny the
life OF our citizens.
I'VE arc counting death every day
through defiance Of life rules. Death is
lurking constantly at our side. and
Yet we ignore the monstcd. DO you
know how much money it takes to
Tan - -, - "a - f, 49,. l,,...# 49,. =. t,.,. L.
is dead? \ countless amount.
There arc 1900 10 physicians in this
country--l20.000 men living on prince
" salaries because We ignore the pos
sibility of oui, losing our health. Why
should men die AT all? III If we
are TO die let US die all at once, not
p~ieccuical. Let us retain our vital
ability unto the last. We annot af-
ford to die ourselves before our time,
ana we cannot afford to let between
100 and iao out OF every 1000 OF our
babies die every ear under i've years
Or. Wiley advocated the depopula-
ton Of cities as far as possible, and
the more stringent enforcement 81
protecting the national health"
There; no reason why the gov
eminent shouldn't maintain a national
health department. The. government
out in Iowa: why not the great Amer.
lean citiZen?"
Health commissioner Porter. follow
ing the governments expert, was even
palmer in his language.
There are 100000 persons sick
every year in the United States" he
said. Fifteen hundred thousand OF
these 100000 are sick Of pre-
ventablc diseases. Six hundred ana
fifty thousand people die before their
tim every year in his country. Not
only that, but there are thousands
OF half dead men and women in this
country. They are a terrible tau
billions of dollars they cost us. In
less than I'VE years, IL we could pre-
vent diseases We know are prevent
able, with the money saved we could
pay our national debt and buy up
tEat of all the nations of the earth
besides.
Il believe that If every bar and sa-
loon in this country were abolished
this afternoon we would be n stronger
hnd q better PEOPLE. Alcohol has never
done any one any good. Furthermore
we are the most d~rug-nddicted people
in the world Patent medicines, home
medicines and other drugs thrive
among us and find ready. nay. eager.
consumption.
TO meet interstate questions. such
as the care and isolation OF cpidemics,
We should have a national health de-
p~artinenf.' said Professor Abbott. OF
Pennsylvania. Let us Organizes a body
of men who will stand by as advisers
in critical timcs--a body, which will
be national in scope. but will not in
~ttrfcrc with local or State health de-
ia ri ~ n I q - ..a.# .ee+ u. .H- ".I a.EA