The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-14

Isthmian railway is said to mark the so unhealthy, that in later years the great French nation was compelled to abandon this canal project, chiefly on account of yellow fever and malaria.
 It is a fact-and our people should know it-that our own earlier efforts in Panama failed for the reason that the direction of medical affairs was left at first to red tape and a mixed commission; and 1t was not until the chief sanitary officer-an army sur- geon-was placed in autocratic control of medical affairs, that the satisfactory results were seen. l
 Moreover, medical research has not only done away with epidemics of yell low fever and the devastations of ma laria, but 1t has practically put a stop to typhoid fever, dysentery, diarrhoea, all fatal enteric diseases which were formerly a scourage, especially among soldiers.
 For example, during the war with Spain, 1O,759 United States soldiers were encamped near Jacksonville, Fla, from June 1 to October 1, 1898. In this short period of four months there developed among these men 2693 cases of typhoid fever, and in addition, many cases of dys- entery and diarrhoea. In all, 529 died of disease.
 In 1911 from March 10 to July 10, 12,S01 American soldiers were encamped at San Antonio, Tex. In this four months there
 The water supply for both camps was from artesian wells, carefully tested, and of unimpeachable purity. The climatic conditions were practically the same, and yet, although there were 2000 more men at San Antonio, there were 2692 fewer cases of typhoid fever and 5ls fewer deaths!
 Within this brief period of time med- ica research had discovered a method of preventing typhoid infection, and that knowledge was here for the first time put into practical use.
 In 1911, the troops were "vaccinated" with anti-typhoid serum. and not one of these thousands so treated was made i'll or seriously inconvenenced by the treat ment.
 Moreover, medical research had discov- cred that the common house fly was one of the most dangerous carriers and dis trbuters of the germs of this fever (and of dysentery and cholera as welD, and common sense measures for the elimina- tion of this insect were successfully car ried out. Contact with all forms of de- composing matter was made impossible. and the breeding of flies and the carrying of germs adhering to their feet and bodies were prevented.
 In the Boer war the British had 31;0Oo cases of typhoid, with 5S77 deaths. There were 73,396 cases among the Germans in the Franco-P Prussian war, with S7S9 deaths; and in our war with Spain, as late as 1898, there developed 20,73S cases, with 1880 deaths out of an army of 107,973 men. All of this suffering and loss of life could have been prevented had the dis coveries which have been made in recent years been known then. It is gratifying to know that such deplorable conditions can never again prevail.
 Those who have lived through any of the epidemics of cholera which have vis- ited our country will appreciate the diff ferent conditions which now prevail Dur ing the summer just past, for the first time since 1892 the city authorities had to deal with Asiatic cholera. In addi- tion to the cases coming in on the steam ships and those which developed on Swin- burne island, three cases occurred within the Jurisdiction of the board of health of the city. The discovery of the germs of this disease, and of the means of pre- venting it's spread, enabled the authorities to stamp it out at once, and without alarm or panic. .u lal
 Smallpox, in other days the scourge of nations; diphtheria, cerebro-spinal, men, ingitis, and many other once fatal dis eases might be added to this list of bene- factions.
 The 130000 voters in the medical profess sion of the United States, represented by the American Medical association, with an organization in every congressional district in the union, are carrying on a ca mpaign of education with the. people, their patients, as to the necessity of this great reform, and in my opinion, neither politics nor prejudice can defeat their efforts.