Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-28
Caused sc, 900 Deaths.

I'm the United States said Mr.. Phelps,
in 1908. alcoh0nRs the contributing
cause. mSSs~s0Y directly. of nearly
5000 dc me actual cause being re-
ported smething else. The figures OBJ
tanned in this investigation have since
been confirmed in a striking manner by
DR.. Cressy l.. Wilbur. chief statistician
q the divisio9 Vital statistics of the
trifie higher than those shown In the
investigations made by the insurance
companies
Alcohol as a Predisposing Cause of Ac-
cidents and Occupational Diseases" was
the subject discussed by Dr. Boos. who
stated that statistics prove that work.
men of all classes. between the ages of
twenty-five and forty-five years, who are
drinkers, suffer more than three times a.
many accidents of all kinds as do men
OF the same classes who do not use liquor.
The periodical drtnker.' said DR.. BoOs.
figures prominently in the accidents
that occur on Monday on days follow
ing holidays. These accidents result from
the paralyzing effects of the indulgence
of the previous day-the Saturday night
or Sunday debauch. the hangover from
which lasts twenty-four hours or longer.
The quantities of alcohol the nabituaI
drinker takes each day the speaker
continued, ARE not usually sufficient to
produce intoxicaton, but they consider
ably reduce his alertness. He suffers
vision. and in every case his mental
processes are retarded, in many cases to
the point Of deafness. color blindness
and condition approaching idiocy.'
Use by Railroad Men.
Referring TO the use of alcohol by rail-
road employees DR. Boos said that 1.-The
seriousness of the railroad accident at
Corning July last does not lie so much
the engineer was drunk, as In the fact
that il was possible for the engineer to
enter his cab in drunken condition
We need thorough control of all en-
ployeS who have to do with work such as
railroadnf, street car operation or any
labor into which mental alertness and a
clear brain enters as a controlling factor
of safety or efficiency.
The joint session opened with a discus
sion of the general topic, Measurement
of the IIealthfulness of Occupations" III
which the speakers were Frederick l..
hoffman,. Statistician of the Prudential
Insurance Company of Newark. y. j.;
Prof Robert i. Chaddock of Columbia
Cniversitv. Henry j. Harris, chief of the
division Of documents. Library of Con-
gress, and NJ I&Icien March, director OF
the general statistics of France.
At tn. Joint session of sections ] and
VIII yesterday afternoon every known
phase of the hookworm disease was dis
Cussed by the MN of the United States
Army Medical Corps. pubic health serT-
ice and representatives of foreign gov
crnments. who have given the world all
its present knowledge of the malady.
Hookworm Study in Paris.
Drs NJ Breton and l.. Bruyant of the
Pasteur Institute of Paris described the
hookworm. which is of several varieties
or species, and tod Of the method OF
treatment recomu. nded by the great in
stiute of which they are members. Dr..
4. w stiles of the Army Medical Corps
ard pr. George r. Leonard described the
method Of treatment and the length of
treatment that has been found necessary
in cnect!nS permanent cures. advoca ting
the use of thymol. followed by large
doses of EPSON salts. as the most certain
remedy Yet discovered. They also dis
cussed in another paper the after effects
of such treatment. Mai. Bailey X. Ash
ford of the United States Army Medica
Corps who the discoverer of thu
hookworm, DR.. w. x Rankin. secretary
Of the North Carolina state board Of
heath: DR.. Hiram Byrd OF the state
board of health 81 Florida. and DR.. Johr
y Terrell o. Raleigh, y. c.. discussed
several phases or hookWorm disease ant
its eradication.
Not appes ring on the program. but con
trfhuting orc OF the most startling paper
Of the entire congress. Prof. Howard y
Kelly OF johns iiophiES nlVerslty, IN
discussion of Social Diseases and Thei
Effects Upon the Community. declares
that from white slavery springs practi
caliy all of the municipal corruption &
he found in American municipalities an
stated that the breakdown of our sys
TENS of law and justice in great meas
ure can he traced directly to this. tn
worst plague spot on the social body 10
day"
Victim of Our Civilization.
The white slave. said Prof. Kelly
rs not ali indication of the inheren
profi;gacy of women. III fact, the whit
slave, who is nearly always coaxed
dragged or forced into her mode of life
is really the poor suffering victim of .ou
civilization. She is not at fault; neithe
Is the man who lives off her earnings
or the keeper of the dive in which she i
housed. l am absolutely convinced tina
the responsibility for this hideous trafl
in women lies solely with the people a
large. More than 10 any other cause
Is, due to the indifference OF the publi