Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1913-02-06

milk, and they can only grow and mui
tiply when the temperature is high.
In growing they elaborate chemical
poisons, and these poisons kill the
child
These studies led to the sterilization
Of milk and, what is of more impor
lance, led people all over the world to
give greater atteIfion to cleanliness
in providing milk 1t is quite impossi-
BILE to estimate the great life saving
factor In these discoveries. or course
no one will claim that these studies
were completed I'm the medical depart
ment of the University of Michigan.
but 1t is perfectly within the bounds
of truth to state that the demonstra-
ton of poisons In milk, cheese and
other milk rpoducts made at Ann Ar
Dor in the early eighties of the last
century did much to establish the fact
that the high infantile mortality OF
the summer months is due to poison
GUS milk.
Within more recent years certain
studies by DIR. Novy have contributed
much TO medical science. While the
infectious diseases In temperate ell
mates are largely due to bacterial In
lection, those in the tropics are prin-
cpally caused by protozoal parasites.
This is true of malaria sleeping sick
ness. yellow fever Delhi boils and
other tropical diseases. DR.. Novy was
the first to succeed in growing any of
these protozoa in artificial culture
media. and now they are grown in all
the protozoal laboratories In the
world. This gives an opportunity for
study ing these protoZoa which could
have been secured in no other way.
In 1888 the hygienic laboratory of the
University Of Michigan began to make
sanitary anlyses of drinking water for
health officers and others. This has
been continued up to the present time,
and now there is on file in this labora.
tory complete record of more than
1900 such analyses. When typhoid
fever appears in any locality In the
state all the possible water sources OF
this infection are investigated. Sam.
plies are sent to the hygienic laboratory
the analyst is able to tell whether OF
not any of the samples may cause dis
ease and which one carries the infec
ton.
The largest service, however, that
the medical department of the Uni
versity of Michigan renders to the
state is accomplished In its hospital.
From small beginnings the hospital
has grown until now the university
hospital alone provides $50 beds, or,
with the psychopathic ward, 322 beds.
This does not include the homeopathic
hospital, which provides sixty addition.
al beds. The university hospital is one
of the wisest charitable institutions
which the state has provided for its
citizens. 1t is charitable in this way
that il Is not the purpose of the hospi.
tai to serve those who are able 10 pay
for medical treatment. At present ad.
mission to the hospital is limited to the
| following classes: ID Students who
are IN actual attendance at the uni.
versity; (2) those whose admission Is
| provided for by statue; 60 those who
are sent or brought to the hospital by
any legally qualified physician: az all
| not included in any of the above class.
es must make affidavit that they are
| not able to pay the ordinary fees
charged by physicians.
Any student in the university. rich or
| poor. if his physician thinks better
| service can be rendered him. may be
| carried 10 the hospital. When he
reaches the hospital remuneration for
| the physician stops. The sick man is
| cared for, medically or surgically, free
| Of charge. OF course he pays for his
room and board. The statutes provide
| for state patients and for county pa.
| tents. The inmates Of the various
state institutions, If the institutional
| physician thinks they may be benefit.
| ed thereby, may be sent to the hospi.
tai for treatment. There are always
in the university hospital number of
| children from the school at Coldwater
and from other state institutions.
The superintendent of the poor In
any county has the right by law to
send any sick individual to the hos.
| pital at county expense. Last year
there were patients from every county
in the state, and the number coming
under this head Is considerable. The
superintendent of the poor Of the
counties recently had q meeting in
Ann Arbor. visited the hospital and
by resolution decided to aid the hos
pital In securing larger accommoda
tons.
The majority Of the patients filling
University hospital are people Of very
moderate means, who are sent to the
hospital by their physicians. Some
of them need operations. which could
not be performed at their homes with
out great danger to the life Of the pa
tient. The local physician is glad to
bring or send such patients to Univer
sity hospital. The total number OF
patients in University hospital annual
ly now runs up to nearly 5000. These
people come to the hospital incapaci