Evening star., 1912-09-14

in tho past two decades has been one OF
the most remarkable developments Of
Americas efforts to promote the we'll
being OF her people. It was only as far
head OF the English delegation to one Of
the International congresses, represented
to the American delegates that the build
ing of the Panama canal would mean a
great danger Of the spread of yellow
fever to the English colonies, and asked
them to take up the matter with the
government at Washington, looking to
the calling OF a conference to formulate
steps to prevent the spread OF yellow
fever from Panama. When It Is stated
occurred on the isthmus in half a decade
and that only one or two cases have come
in through the quarantine in all that
time, it will be seen that, although the
fears Of Sir Patrick might have BEEN well
founded at that time. so rapid has been
the rise Of the science OF preventive medt-
cine that no one gives a passing thought
to the possibility Of the Panama canal
being likely to spread any kind of fnfec-
ton to other regions Of the world.
As q matter Of fact, the lessons learned
at Panama have resulted in the writing
of new science Of
Lessons Learned tropical medicine, and
IN por.mo today all Of the pro-
gressive nations OF
the earth are studying those lessons with
with admitted profit. Instead of being a
source of danger to other countries. as
Sir Patrick thought the canal would be. it
to how such dangers OF infection from
other countries may be overcome.
The sanitary lessons at Panama prom
Use to loom large in the deliberations of
the congress, and one of those who will
be in attendance upon and actively par
ticipate In the affairs OF the congress is
DIR. w. c. Gorgas, who has had admins
trative charge of the sanitary work on
the canal since its inception 1t was
through him that the lessons learned by
Reed, Carroll and Lazear in Cuba were
confirmed and extended at Panama.
The meeting of this congress will have
an important bearing upon the pure food
laws of the United States. One of the
sections of the congress will be devoted
mainly to food matters. and the exposi-
tion will contain many exhibits showing
what has been accomplished in the direc-
tion Of insuring the American citizen a
food supply which is not inimical to his
health. Furthermore. the foreign dele
gates will have an opportunity to get ac-
oLainted with the food products OF the
factories of this country and with the
sanitary surroundings under which they
are manufactured and put upon the mar
ket. and 1t is believed that this acquaint-
ance will result In no inconsidera BILE ex-
pansion OF the American food market
abroad.
Everybody connected with the congress
expects great results to issue from its ses-
sions. 1t always
Prediction Made has been the case
That the counfry
Of Great Results. n % which such =
some new movement in the direction of
the promotion OF the public health which
has proved OF vast benefit The congress
in Vienna resulted In a night against over
crowded tenements and consequent ma
tional legislation Of great importance. In
one Of the Paris congresses the matter OF
Pasteur's antirabic was considered ana
an institute for the treatment Of hydro
phobia established. Today every country
has such institutes. there being no less
than twenty-five In the United States
alone The federal government has found
that 1t can send the virus safely by mail:
and many hundreds of people are saved
each year from horrible deaths from hy-
drophobia because of this treatment.
In 1890 Prof. Won Behring of Marbury
that he could render ami
mails immune from diphtheria by giving
them an antitoxin. A report of his work
was made at the congress which followed
in 1895. A little later. some OF the anti
toxin was brought to this country and
under it's use the mortality from that
dread disease of childhood had fallen from
"a. 75 per hundred thousand in 1890 to ola
per hundred thousand in 1910.
X
One scarcely can imagine from these
mere figures what the use OF antitoxin
really means. If
BENEFITS Derived the death rate
.. from diphtheria,
EiVM AAsASOAn' prevalent in 1890
today in the United States,