The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-27
Recent Figure in National Squabble Makes Inter-
 esting Talk NATIONAL HEALTH IS WORTH MILLIONS 
 Officials of Congress Announce Prin- cipal Subjects at Next Meeting Will Be Pure Food and
 Health Conservation


 gross will hear tomorrow just why Tor nler President Roosevelt did not attend the meeting here this year.
 a pr. Henry Wallace, president of the congress, announced that letter from Theodore Roosevelt giving his reasons had been received pr. Wallace said the ,former president did not oriticise the present conservation congress.
 Besides the letter Dr. Wallace received note from the former president giving him permission to read the letter. The note was read to the congress. MT. Roosevelt said in his letter there was no movement in the country so important as the higher model of country life.
 A great crowd assembled tonight to hear pr. Harvey W. Wiley, chief of the bureau of chemistry in the department O. agriculture deliver speed on the health of the people.
 pr. Harvey w. Wiley of Washing ton, chief of the federal agriculture department chemistry bureau and eXon- erated star figure in the so-called Wiley pure food con troversy, told the National Conservation congress today that the health of the nation was worth sJdo. COG, 100000. He made this estimate on the basis of s600 per capita aver age annual earning of adults. This declaration was made in an address in which he advocated limitation of mar riage to normal and healthy individuals, segregation of tubercular and typhoid fever patients as in smallpox, yellow fever and leper cases. establishment of national department of health and rigid enforcement of pure food and drug laws.
 pr. Wiley said that If in the re- mote future coal, iron, gold and silver should become extinct, science would provide substitutes" and that science would secure the maintenance and in- crease of the wealth in forest, field and | stream"
 But there is another natural asset, he continued, lying at the very basis Of the prosperity or the country which i. is sometimes ovarIookad,s namely thes suMpe irsf,incticiwppsaSgFth human ma ] chine, commonly Expressed by the term .health.' 4 This has more to do with the happiness, prosperity and utility of the human organism than any of the other natural assets which have men
 
 this vast asset of the nation, he said, were the inheritance of disease or of weakened bodies poor nutrition, un- wholesome and adulterated food, the taking of disease by infection and in sanitary conditions, the latter caused by overerowding in big cities and by ( lack of hygienic knowledge in the country districts.
 In order to unify the national and state activities making for the public bealth,n he declared, 'the establishment of national department of health IS al- most a necessity. Do not be deterred bS the cry which goes up Of doctors trust. The wise physicians are in favor of such department, not because it is 'physi- clans trust,5 but because 1t IS TOT. the good of the people.
 '.The selfish physician will be glad to see the present conditions of affairs con tinue because it tends to produce disease and thus throws into his hands an in- fcreased practice. The altruistic pnysi- G clan believes in prophylaxis rather than in therapeutics. He is willing to sacfl- flee his own income in his devotion to the public service.
 .4Congress. should take early steps To- wards securing in the councils of the na- tion an adviser to the President charged with the protection of the health of tho people and the proper education of the
 
 being, both moral and physician. What is needed is to bring together all the activi- ties of the national government into one department having the prestige and pow CT of presidential advisement.
 Vigorously did pr. Wiley attack as thief ana corrupter of public morals of the manufacturer who sells adulterated foods and drugs. The human animal, he declared is entitled to pure and whole some diet -'1'he drug store and the grocery syore' he said '' should be dis z tinct concerns and not sell each others wares The man who converts peanut shells into pepper on the ground that the poor man is not able to buy pure pepper is thief and corrupter of public morals. e The rich man possibly may be able to af- ford peanut shells but the poor man never. The man who diutes the milk waters the stock of the wealthiest company m the world
 "Especialsy is this principle true, he declared, 'as regards children and no penalty is too severe for the man who deliberately puts poisonous dye { into candy to sell the stick for penny | and puts two-thirds of the penny into ! his own pocket. or. when children or . . larger growth are able to frequent the ubiquitious soda fountain, why 2 should they be permitted to freely pur chase injurious alkaloids or fraudulent substitutes for sugar used as a sweet ening agent?
 rsAgain, by what principle of polit- icaI economy can the practice be justi- fled of keeping wholesome food in storag ge until it's taste has vanished and poisonous degradation products have been produced?
 ..Advocating prohibition of marriage of persons afflicted with incurable dis eases or imbecile or otherwise griev- ously beset, he declared the power of the state to protect fits citizens from disease may be constitutionally exers csed before as well as after birth. .aS Manufacturing in large cities he con- demued, saving cities should be re- served for exchange and every artisan enga ged in production provided with a lot where he can breath the fresh air and touch mother earth"
 An attack was made on the manufac- turer who sells adulterated medicines and drugs He was characterized ''as thief and corrupter."
 Officials of the congress announced the principal subjects at next years meet ing would be pure food and the conserva- tion of the public health.
 . Dr. Warren H. Wilson of New York Hand Mrs. Phillip N. Moore of St. Lonis ? Also delivered addresses at the night ses- sion.
 Some. of the programme was devoted to !. rural life and several women speakers |s participated in the discussions. Among seounnMyxD ON rAGn 1e,l