El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-09-14
AsHINGTON. D. c.. Sept.

.
one of the most significant events
in the history Of public health activi-
! ties. 1t is the first of the great world
! congresses of hygiene and demo-
! Sraphy to be held outside of Europe.
! The last one was held in Berlin in 1907.
] An invitation was extended by the
! congress of the United States. through
/ the American delegates, to hold the
18th meeting in this country. The in
vitation was accepted and it was the
inteatioE to hold it in 1910, but it was
| found that the United states could
| hardly get ready for the entertain
ment of the organization at that early
date. BY an act of congress it was
postponed, and the date finally fixed
for september r23, 1872.
Delegates Will Number 5000.
1t is estimated that the congress viii
/ bring together some 5000 of the lead
; ing sanitarians of the world. over
500 are coming from Germany alone.
These men arc appointed by their re-
. spectivc governments, as being among
the ablest representatives OF the
science Of preventive medicine. Dele
gates from more than so countries will
be present. and each one Of them viii
|, bear a message o. some achievement
in hygiene and demoeraphy which
has taken place since the last con-
gress held in Berlin.
In addition 10 the congress there
will be held a national health exposi-
ton. in which the United states Will
undertake to bring to the attention
of the people of this country and to
the sGnitarians OF the world the re-
suits of the crusade il behalf OF the
national health, which has been go
ing on in America and its dependen-
eies during the past half decade
1t is the custom for the country en-
tertainipS one Of these international
congresses to provide this exposition
of its own health activities in order
that visiting sanitarians may see with
their own eyes what has been taking
place Twenty six federal bureaus
will be represented in the exhibits of
the exposition, and each one of the
IS states will contribute to its sue
cess. In addition TO this. many of the
leading cities OF the country will send
exhibits revealing what they have
done in the direction of promoting the
public health.
Cost of Congress is SII3,OOO.
1t is expected that the cost of hold
ing this congress will approximate
$113, 900. The government of the Unit
ed states will put up $4,000 Of this
and the remainder will be raised by
private subscription. Some people have
asserted that inaSmuch as the congress
is to meet in this country upon the in
yitation OF the government itself. Uncle
Sam ought TO pay the entire expense
of its entertainment To this it was
replied that never in the history of the
-
it been required to meet the entire ex-
pense, and. if this were done. few
countries would feel able, or inclined,
10 invite il to hold its sessions within
their boundaries.
The organization of the congress
was a duty Geyolving upon the depart
Inent of state. There being no other
body to take up the matter, ii was
decided that dealing with interna ton
al relations, the state department
should have charge of it. One of the
first steps taken by the department
was to select a president. While pres
ident Taft will be the honorary presi-
dent OF the congress, the active pre-
WalcOtt- There is also a secretary
general. Of the organization, likewise
appointed by the department Of state.
the office being filled by DR.. John ).
Fulton. of Baltimore. Maryland.
The congress will be divided into
two divisions. the one division of ny
giene and the other the division OF
demOgraphy. The division of demo-
graphy, which deals with health sta
ustics, will not be further divided The
division of hygiene will be subdivided
into eight sections, and each Of these
sections will be presided over by a
president appointed by the secretary Of
state.
Progress in Preventive Medicine.
The progress that has been made in
preventive medicine in the United
States in the past two decades has
been one Of the most remarkable de-
vetopments of Americas efforts to pro-
mote the well being of her people. 1t
was only as far back as 1908 that Sir
Patrick Manson, head Of the English
delegation to one of the interna tiOnal
congresses. represented to the Ameri-
can delegates that the building of the
Panama canal would mean 4 great
danger Of the spread of yellow fever to
the English colonies, and asked them
to take up the matter with the govern
ment at Washington, looking to the
calling OF a conference to formulate
steps to prevent the spread OF yellow
fever from Panama.
When ii is stated that not single
case of yellow fever has occurred on
only one or two cases have come in
through the quarantine in all that
time, 1t will be seen that, although the
fears of sir Patrick might have been
Wen founded at that time, so rapid !
has been the rise of the science of pre-
ventive medicine that no one gives a |
passing thought to the possibility OF /
the Panama canal being likely 10 |
spread any kind of infection to other 4
regions of the world.
AS a matter of fact, the lessons |
learned at Panama have resulted in the /
writing of new science of tropical 4
medicine. and today all Of the progress !
sive nations of the earth are STUDYING
L.
stead Of being a source of danger to !
other countries. as Sir Patrick thought |
the canal would be. it has proved to be 4
a great object lesson as to how such !
dangers of infection from other coun- /
tries may be overcome
The sanitary lessons at Panama /
promise to loom large in the delibera-
tions Of the congress. and one of those !
who will be in attendance upon. and |
active participation in. the affairs Of /
the congress is DR.. w. c. GorSas who |
has had administrative 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. J
Pure Food Lnws.
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
De devoted mainly to food matters, and I
the exposition will contain exhibits
showing what has been accomplished !
in the direction OF insuring the Ameri-
IAN citizen a food supply which is not
nimical to his health. Furthermore,
he foreign delegates will have an OPP
to get acquainted with the
food products OF the factories of this
country. and with the sanitary sur
-oundings under which they are man
fractured and put upon the market.
IL iS believed fbiz in