Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-09-24
Fifteenth international Con-
gress Of Hygiene and
Demography Opened To-
day at Washington.
30 COUNTRIES
ARE REPRESENTED
Papers and Discussions
Looking to the Freeing of
Human Race of Disease
Are the Features.

Human Race OF disease
Are the Features.
Washington, d. c., Sept. 23.-Wel.
coined by President Taft and attended
by some 5000 delegates from all parts
Of the world, the Fifteenth lnterna-
tional Congress OF Hygiene and
Demography convened today. 1t was
the first time In sixty years OF exist
ence the congress has met IN the
UEited States. United to free the hui
man race OF disease these warriors
for a new and wider form Of freedom
gathered for the exchange of greetings
ia Continental Memorial hall, the home
OF the Daughters of the American
Revolution To President Taft's greet
ing brief responses were made by the
head OF the delegation from each OF
the thirty-three countries represented.
This was followed by an address by
. DR.. Max Rubner of the Emperor Fred
erich William university, Berlin, presi-
dent Of the permanent international
commission Of the congress, on An
I explanation of the meaning OF hygiene
and demography in the sanitary ad;
ministration of) nations, with special
\ emphasis upon cooperative interna-
tional work and an historical review
OF what has been accomplished to
date"
Immediately after the morning SEES
sion the congress was prepared TO
start in on the long series Of lectures
and discussions which will continue
through the week. Scheduled for to-
day in the various sections into which
the congress has been divided were
discussions on public health, organi-
xation and administration In England
and Germany, the hygiene OF infant
hood and childhood, the physiology and
pathology Of work and fatigue, bacillus
carriers and the Importance Of. fiies
"A and other insects as carriers OF In
Z fectious diseases, the Importance OF
shell fsh, particularly oysters In rela-
ton to infectious diseases, the control
Of diseases in the army, the use OF
hospital ships and the development of
vital statistics in the United States
since 1900 and measures needed for
the immediate future.
"A garden party at the white house,
scheduled for this afternoon, was ex.
y
tertainments arranged for the social
side of the congress. In addition to
the 5000 delegates, many of whom
have wives and daughters accompany
ing them. visitors attracted to Wash
ington by the congress have brought
the total number of guests here up to
probably 10000.
The exhibition hall in which are
displays showing what the nation,
states cities and private social better
ment associations are doing to i'm
prove the health of the people, was
thronged all day with visitors
Government Should Aid.
eve need to develop under govern
mental auspices bureau or depart
ment in which the funds of the govern
ment shall be expended for research
Of every kind useful in the practice ana
enforcement of hygiene and preventive
medicines said President Taft today
in delivering an address Of welcome
to the delegates to the fifteenth con-
gress on hygiene and demography at
Continental Memorial hall,
THAT something of this sort may
grow out of the present United States
public health service there is reason
to believe" !" continued the president,
"but it will need far greater appro-
priations and widening of Its scope
OF duties before it shall have filled the
place that the medical profession Of
this country has right to expect the
general government ito create in the
progress Of hygiene and demography."
Referring to the subject of tropical
hygiene, President Taft said:
"Our responsibilities in Cuba,
Porto Rico and the Philippines and
now on the isthmus of Panama, have
so enlarged our knowledge Of the pos
sibilities Of successful sanitation under
the most burdensome conditions and
have so impressed both professional
men and the laymen at all familiar
with the conditions with the necessity
for more rigid and comprehensive
health laws, and a stricter enforcement
Of them for the general public good,
that if the Spanish war resulted In
nothing else, 1t was worth greatly
more than its cost in this useful de-
velopment of one Of the most import
ant functions that modern government
has to discharge, as well as in making
clear the need OF an additional branch
of general education in the matter Of
hygiene Of the home and the Individual.
When weAirst went into the tropics
our purpose was to make that region
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