Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-05-07
The Community Health
Why This Amendment?

Why This Amendment?
Paragraphs Of section Of the fed
eral food and drugs acts says that a
food shall be deemed adultered:
Il 1t consists in whole or in part OF a
filthy, decompoSsd, or putrid animal
| or vegetable substance. or any portion
| Of an animals unit for food, whether
| manufactured or not. or If it Is the
product Of diseased animal. or one
that has died otherwise than by slaugh-
ter.
A bill has been presented in the
house of representatives to amend the
act by striking out the words cor
vegetable" in this paragraph Why
this amendment" What value will it be
to the public? Or Is 1t in the interests
Of those manufa cturers who would sell
putrid tomato pulp and other decayed
vegetable matter as food?
The Larger Aspects Of Sanitation.
A great actor declared as essential
to an ideal dramatic performance the
interaction Of three factors: A good
play. enthusiastic actors, and SYM
pathetic audience. In like manner
wonders could be performed in COM
munal sanitation by the INTERPOLATION
of sound science. able health officers
and an educated understanding
public. Science has done her part: she
has demonstrated that all infectious
diseases tuberculosis. typhoid fever
diptheria and the resO can be ban
ished from human experience. There
are many health officials ready ana
anxious TO consummate this enter
prise: but there are too few Of these.
Thirdly. there is needed convinced,
loyal and cooperating laity. II we
could have constant supervision. by
trained hygienists, of large numbers
OF workingmen and women collected
in factories and the like. epldemlcs
would be detected in their ircipienc!,
fewer persons would be involved, SUI
fering would be diminished. death pre-
vented, material loss avoided. and the
genera! we'll being vouchsafed. CoTpo-
rations having in their employ nun
tireds or thousands of people should.
according 10 The Journal Of the Amer
lean Medical Association. perfect some
form OF organization for institutlns
methods 10 insure cleanliness in ooth
shop and home, fresh air, pure. water
and proper toilet arrangements, with
early detection OF infection, thru care
full observation and the isolation OF
those wage earrers who have been
stricken.
Mrpohine and Cocain.
Examination. Of the laws which con-
troll the sale Of opium and cocain IN
the several states show that there is
most extraordinary lack OF uniformity.
In many states anti narcotic laws are
so comprehensive that were an attempt
made to enforce the law literally II
would result in the fine or lmprlson-
nent OF practically all the retail drug
gists. on the other hard, there are
some states in which the exceptions
and provisos to the Law are so nulner-
Gus as practically TO nullity all Efforts
10 control the traffic in narcotic drugs |
Altho in most OF the states there Isl
some legislation which aims to abolish |
the evil. il is all of comparatively recent
date. and has not kept pace with the
increase in drug addiction. Lack OF
federal control resulting in various
conflicting state laws. or more properly
spea king in giving rise u such d.
versity of laws tina, stringency in one
state can be overcome by ordering by :
mail from another state where the laws
are less stringent. is undoubtedly the
chief reason why our country compares
so unfavora bly, with European coun-
tries in respect 10 the prevalence OF
morphin addiction.
Sine. 1850. when the various forms OF
opium were separately enumerated IN
the tariff schedule. there has been an
increase Of 35l per cent in the i'm
por,ation and consumption of all forms
of opium. as against an increase OF 1873
no
United States during the last ten years
there has been an annual importation
and consumption of opium Of over sou
600 pounds. Austria Hungary. with a
population Of little less than half that
of ours. consumes annually Tess 1han
one-nundredth this amount Of opium.
Germany with sixty million inhabitants
consumes only about 1900 pounds an
nually, while in Italy with thirty-three
millions there is an annual consump-
ton Of only about 5000 pounds Inc
appalling discrepancy consists in the
fact that the most reliable authorities
are agreed that one eighth the. amount
Of opium imported into the Cnited
States would amply suffice for the
legitimate medical needs Of our people.
This country manufactures into NOR
nual importation. and 1t is estimated
that so per cent Of the morphin thus |
made is used by victims of the habit.
When we consider cocain. the situa-
ton is no less alarming kolier first
introduced this drug 10 the medical
profession in 1874 Thirteen years
later was enacted the first legislation
in the United States which strove TO
prevent the ind.scriminate sale OF the
drug In 1897 Illinois passed la"
which made it unlawful to give or sell
any cocain or preparation containing
cocain in any form except on pTescrip-
ton Of q physician or dentist me
IN, tieauiiity OF ali me legislation
since that time is evidenced by the
fact that altho cocain is drug Wnich
is utterly useless except In the HANDS
of the physician or dentist, and should
never De prescribed for continuous use
under any circumstances even by them,
there has nevertheless heen SUCH a
rure should not he allowed a year 3