Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1914-05-15


tions OF morphine to control the con.
vulsions have been recommended y
certain authorities, who advise giNng
sheep one and one-half grains, and
the cattle and horses three to ten
grains.
Idle lave are worse than no laws ut
all. Their lack OF enforcement Is .
menace to all laws
Enforcement of which tits desired
Sanitary Laws. to enforce ana
STRENGTHENING the hand of the admin.
istrator they act as deterrent to EN-
cheney. ~. 'r.e
This is the opinion Of DR.. w. G.
Rucker, assistant surgeon general Of
the United States public health serv'
Ice DR.. Fuckers views were given
upon the administration Of public
health laws, but many public officials
will be willing to let them apply to all
laws which are poorly enforced.
Speaking Of the factors upon which
the efficiency Of public health admin
istration depends, DR.. Rucker says:
"One of the most useful things which
could be done In furthering the
cause of public health would be re.
vision of the sanitary law. and the
repeal of laws which are impractical
of administration. or which, II admin.
istered, would defeat the purpose for
which they were enacted. 1t may be
argued that this would be tearing
down rather than an upbuilding proc
ess, and that, in repeating these de-
fective laws, nothing would be placed
in their stead. ss..
In the great mass Of sanitary leg
islation at present to be found on our
statute books there is one noticeable
omission. Few of the states have an
efficient law for the collection Of NOR
bidity statistics. We have been mar
velouely illogical with regard to our
vital statistics. We have collected
data upon births, marriages and
deaths, none Of which conditions Is
particularly dangerous to the public
health, and have almost entirely lost
sight Of the sick man, who II the point
from which most human diseases are
disseminated. -........
"Oncc q person is dead his danger
business Is lost, and 30 far ~ prac-
tical he Is an almost negligible fac
tor. It is the living carrier Of dis
-,Aa>h 4. AonUopora Mnrh{dffv
reports. particularly Of the communi.
cable diseases, show the location of
cases which constitute foci from which
disease may be spread to the well. The
collection of morbidity reports thus
makes 1t possible to know where to
take the proper precautions for the
protection OF persons who may be ex-
posed to Q given disease, and there
fore acts - = prophylactic measure
for the community at large.
This has an intensely practical
bearing, because It not only makes II
possible to prevent he spread Of dis.
ease. but also enables this to b done
ut the minimum expense and with the
minimum Of effort. This IL efficiency
in its highest phase. There II also
Q humanitarian aspect Of the question.
The knowledge Of the occurrence Of
disease makes 1t possible to Sc that
the sick receive proper treatment, not
only from Z preventive. but also from
. curative standpoint"
The proportion Of the wholly init
crate adults among the population Of
the United States
Nation Disgracedis national dis,
BY IIIiteracy. grace s.r wn'e an,. sa1
eliminated" declared unanimous re-
port recently from the house educa
ton committee on the Lever bill to In
vestigate illiteracy. The bill, which
carries no appropriation. authorizes
the commissioner OF education to CO
operate, in q concerted movement In
volving field and clerical service, with
the states. individuals and associations
to ''obliterate the stain and reproach
Of illiteracy."
Commissioner Claxton Of the fed
eral bureau of education has ex
pressed the belief that illiteracy could
be cut to q fraction Of one per cent
and Representative Towner Of Iowa in
submitting the committee report pre-
dicted It would be accomplished with
little delay. .'-'...../.. 49,
The report Of the commissioner
shows the number of illtterates in the
| United States to be 3,1S4,954 whites
ten years old or more at the census
of 1910, exceeding the population Of
the country in 1900. The distribution
ranges from II per 1000 people II
Iowa to 290 per 1000 In Louisiana. In
the South, the report adds. the per
centage is highest in the rural dis
tricts, and in the North II is highes,
| in the cities. Boston has "a. 46S Tilt
crates over ten years old. =. -.
There are 2.273, 603 flliterate males
of twenty one years and over in the
United States" 1t pointed out. "ol
! enough to determine any national cleo
ton at any period Of United States
history" France. by quick, concerted
action, reduced its number Of adult
illiterates from As in 100 to in 100
the report adds. 4 " =:
| Foxes That Climb Trees. :.
California foxes can climb trees. &C
cording to A. M. Powell in an article