The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-11-21

Horrors Oh cA'D~
Tynboid-Women Who Carry Dis
caet-Nrs. X. and Typhoid MARY.
downright, 1911, by FRANK u. taI-
Denter.)
Washington, D. c., Nov. 1S.-Mon-
KEYS which have the measles, guinea
pigs with the diphtheria and rabplts
with typhoid fever-these are some
OF the Things to be seen IN the SIeal
experiment station which Uncle Sam
has established on the banks OF the
Potomac to keep disease away from
his children. 1t is now ten years
since q national bureau of Public
Health was founded. The institution
has proven to be Of enormous Value,
and there is a possibility that it will
some day be made a cabinet depart
ment with a secretary at its head.
AS it is now the Bureau is controlled
by the Secretary of the treasury. It's
superintendent is Surgeon GeneraI
Walter Wyman, whose LIE has been
spent in fightino the great diseases
which affect the nation. 1T is to him
that we W the movement now be
ing mad against tuberculosis, pella-
gra and typhoid fever, to the govern
ment regulations a. to the sale OF
viruses and toxins, and also to the
establishment of the hygienic labor
AOry whose work / describe 1arther
on in thisJ letter.
The Government as a Doctor.
In fact, Uncle Sam is now one Of
the great doctors among the nations.
He has scores of scientists who are
Investigating diseases and seeking new
drugs to cure them. At Panama be
has practically wiped out malaria.
and yellow fever, and here at hoIIic
he is showing us how to control ty-
phoid, diphtheria n that great
white plague known as consumption.
The government is trying to keep dis
eases out Of h country 1t has its
medical examiners at every port or
Europe where immigrants are in
spected before they are allowed to
start for the United States, and it has
other doctors to look them over when
they land. No person who has an in
fectiou5 disease is now allowed to
enter this country, and during the
past Surn mer the immigrants from the
Mediterranean have been bacteria
logically tested to see that cholera
is kept away.
l doubt whether there is in any
part Of the world an institution Of
medical research more important
than that which the government has
here at Washington. I have visited
the Welcome laboratories at Khar-
tum, in the Sudan. They are devoted
to tropical Giseases-to the black wa
ter fever, the sleeping ickness and
other horrors of the uppe Nile n
middle Africa. There is a laboratory
of medical research in Londo and
there are others in Paris, Berlin and
Vienna. The most of these are pri-
Vate institutions carried On with pri-
waite capital. Our government insti-
tuition, known as the hygienic labora-
tory, is packed by the nation, and it
gets its appropriations from Congress.
1t IS connected with the national bu-
reSd of health, and it has so grown
that it is now one of the most i1npor-
tant OF the government undertakings
The h%ygienic laboratory consists Of
several large buildings which are de-
voted TO research Work. 1t contains
chemical and other laboratories, spe-
cially fitted up rooms in which germs
and microbes Of all kinds are reared,
rooms for the testing of diseases
through a study Of animals which
have been infected with them and all
the machinery for modern medical m
Vcstigation. 1t would take many col
un1ns to give a record Of the various
kinds Of work now going on and d
description of what has already been
accomplished. In this letter I can
mention only a few of the problems
which are now being studied and some
OF the methods by which the scientists
arrive at their conclusions.
CI.cic Sans Medical Zoo.
one OF the interesting features Of
tho laboratory is its study of human
diseases through animals Of one kind
or other. Indeed, in one respect the
institution might be called Uncle
Sans Medical Zoo for it has colo
MES of animals which the government
keeps on hand in order that it may
Investigate through them the diseases
with which man is afflicted. These
animals are moo ulated with human
blood taken from persons who have
certain diseases. They thus catch the
diseases and through them the dis
cases are studied and Investigated
The sick animal is given drug after
drug in order that the right one fer
this special lmep may be discov-
cred. Such animals are carefully
watched, their symptoms are noted
and. il necessary, they are killed and
cut to pieces to ascertain the origin
and course Of the disease and how il
may be controlled as it affects man.
Among the animals used for thi.
ra,r1oro ! - ~ninaa ni~S "a hhit- mic.