Evening star., 1913-03-02


struggling body Of poorly equipped men
who battled against unknown diseases
stands a scientifically equipped service
with trained men in all parts OF the world.
and with headquarters in Washington. In
1902 the name Of the service was changed
to public health and marine hospital serV-
ice Of the United States, with a surgeon
general in charge. Still later. In August.
being the United States public health
service. The marine hospital and relief
work still forms part of the functions Of
the service. being carried on by one Of
the divisions.
The service. which is under the direction
of Surgeon General Rupert Blue. consists
of seven divisions, each in
Division charge of q commissioned
evu medical officer. The divi-
VI "VAA' sions cover marine hospi-
tails and relief, personnel and accounts,
domestic quarantine, foreign and in
sular quarantine. sanitary reports and
statistics. scientific research and mis-
cellaneous matters. The officers in
charge of the divisions in the order
named are: Dr. William j. Pettus, DIR.
Arthur II. Glennan, DR.. William c.
Rucker. DR.. Leland E. Cofer. DR.. John
surgeon generals, and DR.. Richard 4.
Kearny. assistant surgeon.
| The division OF scientific research and
sanitation supervises the detail reports
| Of officers ordered to attend national and
state medical societies and sanitary or
ganizatfons. and prepares for publication
the proceedings Of conferences between
| state boards and the service. Through
the division controlling maritime quar-
antinc is carried on the inspection of
ships. nearly 1900 being inspected in one
year at domestic, insular and foreign
stations, involving the inspection. in ad-
dftfon, of approximately 100000 per-
sons, passengers and crews. The disin-
fection Of about 1900 vessels for the
destruction of rats and mosquitoes, the
carriers of plague and yellow fever, also
come under this division, as well as the
| medical inspection Of arriving immi
grants
Under the division Of domestic Gnter-
state) quarantine also comes work in
connection with contagious diseases 1t
was this division which few years ago
carried on the war against plague-in-
fected rats on the Pacific coast, killing
| more than 10000 Of the little pests in
three cities. OF that number 1626S
! and none found infected. OF 1885
| squirrels destroyed. however. 351 were
| found to be infected, while four cases of
human plague We're reported in a year.
In the division of sanitary reports and
| statistics is compiled and published a
| weekly pamphlet entitled Public Health
Reports. This bulletin contains a sta
! tistical report from all cities in the
United States of more than 10000 in
habitants, and some Others giving the
morbidity and mortality in each city with
| regard to twelve diseases. and the total
! mortality from all diseases. The weekly
mortality in 120 foreign cities from
thirteen communicable diseases is also
reported.
| The personnel and accounts division
handles the records Of officers and the
| expenditures of the service, the latter
| being about 100000 a year. This divi-
profession at large and with sanitary
! movements In one syear fOrty-seven
meetings Of sanitary and medical asso
Citations We're attended. while 145 articles
were contributed by officers of the serv-
| ice to the medical and lay press.
!; ::
The scope OF the work carried on by
this service is limited only by its an
| nual appropriations. Med
! On Foreign ica1 officers bearing the
insignia of the service are
0oA 'io0' 10 be found in China and
prevalence of contagious diseases They
which certify that all the regulations re-
quired at foreign ports from vessels leav-
| ing for this country have been complied
with. At the most important posts COM
missioned officers are stationed, the 9TH
| ers being assistant surgeons. A commits
stoned officer is one who has been admit
! ted to the corps after a physical and
! professional examination, and Is appoint
led Nv cd hv he
| Senate. Acting assistant surgeons are
appointed by the Secretary of the Treas
ury. The former office is for life, the lat
ter temporary. At the present time the
service consists Of about 14O commits
stoned officers, zoo acting assistant sur
geons. 40 pharmacists and 1000 others,
this including the clerical force at head
quarters, attendants and nurses at the
hospitals, etc.
Aside from twenty-five marine hospi-
| tails owned and operated by the service,
is the hygienic laboratory in Washington.
This is a research laboratory exclusively
for public health investigations. 1t is con-
Quoted in four divisions. bacteriology and
pathology, chemistry, zoology and phar-
macology. Officers are detailed to receive
instruction in this laboratory, thus in
| creasing the scientific knowledge Of the
corps, and giving opportunity for the
selection of men qualified for permanent
detail on specific subjects. such as ty-
phoid fever, pellagra. hookworm disease.
! infantile paralysis, scientific disinfection.
etc
In speaking Of the work of the service
the other day, Surgeon General Rupert
Blue made an interesting comparison
Contrasting the act providing for the re-
moval of Congress in the event of an
epidemic here, and the proclamation of
the President in 1885 prohibiting immi-
grants from landing, with events TO-DAY
he said:
The former IS an example of the SUPER
stition Of that period. Such thing would
be unnecessary to-
Superstition of day. for we are able
Early Days. sen,;es DO stamp ran,6,r or. Cpl, a.
for prohibiting the entrance of immi-
grants. in 1911 the country stood in as
great danger of importing cholera as in
1898. yet nothing was done to prevent the
entrance Of immigrants, and, in addition,
our officers quarantined ships for not
longer than forty-eight hours
In the same act which changed the
name of the service was a provision to
the effect that 1.-The public health service
may study and investigate the diseases
of man and conditions influencing the
propagation and spread thereof" AL
though that act went into effect last Oc-
tOher if was oplN during The nrQSanf