New-York tribune., 1914-11-22
BY WILLIAM c. WOODWARD, Nj. d.
President of the American Public Health As.

Ctatlon.
~ NE laughs upon reading of Lady Carterets
n gift to Samuel Pepys Of "a bottle Of
plague water" The people Of London
were dying of the plague by the thou
sands every week, and there were available hardly
hands enough to bury the dead. One is amused
now, because it is known that no "plague water
would ever protect one from bubonic plague. And
vet il is only a little more than decade since
we have been in position TO find am amusing
SIDE to the picture Of the dressy, gossipy diarist
walking down the street oherishing under his arm
a bottle Of a connection supposed 90 possess great
powers for preventing disease.
Il is Jenner, and Louis Pasteur IN his labora-
tory, peerne through his microscope az the minute
organisms which he discovered IN fcrmenting beer
and wine snd their successors of the present gem
Grafton who have obhterated the fear of such
depopulatirg visitatons
In 1921 several ships hailing from Hamburg
sailed into New York HarbOr, bearing sufferers
from Asatc cholera. Blind fear seized upon Che
entire country A waste of sand on the south
side Of Long Island purchased by the state.
Whole shiploads Of people were transferred TO
this barren and inhospitable shore TO remain with
Great discomfort until there was no doubt Of their
freedom from the dread disease. committee
went up and down the coast, visiting every port
from Halifax TO Charleston, working days and
travelling nights. 1t issued daily .eports ot the
conditions in all Of the ports as far rs Wash
ington.
Recently 1t was reported that As.atic cholera
had broken out in the armies in Central Europe
No one became excited. No one would be seriously
disturbed if case should be reported on a steam
shin arriving in New York We know something
about its cause. and better we have equipped the
port with effective facilities for combating it,
yellow JACK" MAY SOON BE A THING
OF THE PAST.
Only few years ago at certain seasons of the
wear it was customary TO detain ships arriving in
New York from Havana until an interval Of i've
davs succeeding departure from the Cuban shore
had elapsed This was due TO the fear of yellow
fever This is never done to-day II IS even
rrophesied that the disappearance of "yelow jack
from among the list Of enemies of man is only
matter Of time. One OF the heroic services per
formed by the American army for Cuba was the
discovery by its medical officers that certain
type of mosquito carries the germ and passes It
on through bite. Window screens and sanitation
have made Havana heathful as any city in the
world. This was Q great victory for the army of
health. The first announcement Of this accom-
plishment was made at meeting Of the American
Public Health Association. Of which the discov-
erers. Drs Walter Reed and James Carroll, were
devoted members.
In the census year of 1879-So the number Of
persons in thousand I'm the registration area In
the United States who died nearly twenty IN
the calendar year Of 1912 it slightly less than
fourteen. The actual saving Of lives in the last
.ear over that Of generation before in the same
number Of persons-that is to say, the sixty m.i-
ion in tho registration area Of this year-vas
?62562, or enough TO repopulate Cincinnati This
is remarkable victory Another triumph is the
feather which Colonel Gorgas IS entitled TO wear
in his cap His sanitation work on the Isthmus
cf Panama was crowned in August, 1913, when