The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-10-01
CONCERN HEALTH
IS W|LEY'S HOBBY
Advises Conservation Con.
gress of Necessity of
Such Department.
HE POINTS OUT EVILS
Would Prevent Unhealthy
Marrying-Move Factor
les to Small Towns.
National News Association)

National News Association)
KANSAS CITY. Sept. 27.-The es-
tablishment OF a National Department
OF Health was strongly urged last
night by DR.. Wiley, pure food ex-
pert" of the department OF agriculture
In his address before the National
Conservation congress. Contrary to
expectation, DR.. Wiley in his address,,
ignored instead Of replying to his
traducers who have been accused Of
"seeking his scalp" He made no men,
ton of the recent controversy in the
agricultural department.
1.-THE congress of the United Stataes
should take early steps," said DR.. Will
ley. toward securing in the councils
of the nations an adviser to the Pres
ident, charged with the protection Of
the health and proper education of the
people of this country in matters re-
lating to their well-being. both moral
and physical. The establishment of a
national department of health Is al
most necessity"
DR.. Wiley advocated as measures
for conservation Of health the enact
ment OF laws preventing marriage be.
tween persons in poor health. segrega-
ton of persons afflicted with tubercu-
losis and typhoid fever and legislation
compelling factories to remove from
the larger cities to small towns and
country districts. He decried adulter-
alton of food and cold storage plants
as injurious to health.
-
THE Public Health, Our Greatest Ma
tional Asset
Il have always been in deep SYM
pathy," he said, with the movement
looking to the preservation, for the
common good. of the natural wealth of
the country"
There Ia one natural asset, lying at
the very basis of the prosperity Of the
country, which Is sometimes overlook
ed. namely, the normal functioning of
the human machine, which Is common.
ly expressed by the term health.
This has more to do with the happi-
ness, prosperity. and utility of the
human organism than any of the other
natural assets which l have mention
ed.
Let Us inquire for q few moments
into the dangers which confront this
vast investment.
First Of all there is heredity. Weak
and diseased persons are apt to trans.
NIT. not always specific diseases, al
though sometimes so, but an unresis-
tant organism to their children which
causes them to fall easy victims to
the first invasion of disease.
persons afflicted with incurable
diseases. or who are imbecile, or 9TH
ervlse grievously beset. should be pro-
hibited from marrying. OF course, I
realize that marriage is sentiment
and not a principle. but the power of
the state TO protect it's citizens from
disease may be constitutionally exer
ciAed before, as we'll as after birth.
Man Is entitled to the protection Of
the state when he exists only as a
mere possibility. therefore urge the
establishment OF regulations by the
state to limit marriage to healthy and
normal individuals.
I'm the second place the invested
health Of this country. in the health
Of its citizens. is threatened by poor
nutrition. The organism not only
needs the normal amount Of food to
enable 1t to keep small reserve for
use in emergencies. | am not a believ.
er in the starvation theory of diet. nor
In the limitation of any of the essen.
tial elements of food to a minimum.
Third, the human animal Is emit.
tied to pure and wholesome diet.
The invested health securities of the
country are constantly threatened by
debased and adulterated foods. 1t
10 q mistake to suppose that any ex.
igencies of the food market ever JUS
tify the debasement or adulteration OF
food. There is no condition of Just po-
litical economy which can be urged a.
an excuse for such an action.
Again by what principle Of political
economy can the practice be justified
Of keeping wholesome food in storage
until its taste has vanished and acidif-
erous degradation products have been
produced. The state cannot be too
carefully safeguarded in the character
and the kind of food products offered
for sale. The aggregation of popula.
ton in great centers increases the diff.
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