The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-01-16
PUTTING A sTRAhGlE
CLUTCH ON DISEASE
From Wednesdays Daily.

From wednesdays Oafly.
:r'nsoIyed Problems OF the Medi-
cal Profession" was the subject Of n
paper read by DIR. G. c. Pratt at a
meeting of the Mankato Social Sci
ence club, held last evening at the
residence of DR.. J. w. Andrews. The
paper was freely discussed by all
the members present DIR. Pratt
said. in part:
DO not take this rs criticism OF
the average mans conduct. lie
generally does give support to the
best of his knowledge, but, alas,
what is that knowledge? He still be-
licves religiousB in the theories that
were beginning TO be discarded In
scientific circles twenty years ago.
To anyone who has discussed these
subjects before lay audiences. IL be-
comes evident that the people. the
most refined and educated, still be-
lieye. concerning the public health.
almost the same thing that the most
ignorant hold So long as these be-
liefs control publici opinion. SO long
will public health lag far behind
other advances.
The old teachings were that in
fectlous diseases generated In the
foul. ill-smelling. unventilated, sun
less howell OF the slums. Rotten po-
tatoes. forgotten i'm a dark corner of
the cellar, caused typhoid. Scarlet
fever was traced To a letter from n
friend. who had the disease months
before. smallpox TO unpacking books
used by a patient quarter OF a
century previously. Manure piles
gave rise to cholera, and dampness
10 malaria. which was not recog
nlzed as transmissible at all yellow
fever originated in impure water
and was transmitted from person to
person. Ships and their Cargoes
have been burned to stop the spread
of this mosquitocarried scourge. Tu-
berculosis was non-infectious and he
reditary. Bubonic plague was ban
ished from Egyptian Cairo. simply
by improving the ventilation of the
city.
Preventive Measures.
Remedial aud preventive meas
ures, based on such beliefs I'm the
oinnipotence OF environment. natural
ly sought TO remodel the lives and
immediate home surroundings Of the
whole population, to conform with
vast array of sanitary laws of
health Yet he who seeks for a
scientific demonstration OF relations
existing between .disobedience of
these sanitary laws on the one
hand and the incidence OF disease
and death on the other, will find
only a twilight zone In which move
vague shadows of traditional fear.
shadows which. on probing, fade
mistily away.
The new public health effort is
not concerned by elaborate theoreti-
cal possibilities. but concerns itself
earnestly with practical probabilities
. D." occasional, unusual routes OF in
lection in the one per cent of cases
do not detract its attention from the
usual. practically constant. simple,
ordinary routes concerned i'm the
ninety-nine per cent. Its main pos
tulate Is that the routes of infec-
ton are simply the routes OF the in.
fected bodily discharges, which.
again. are identical with the ordi-
nary uninfected discharge in ordi-
nary life.
The old-style sanitary inspector
was expected to and did condemn
everything In sight from the gar
bage pail at the back door to the
plumbing I'm the bathroom. But
disease continued, because he was
condemning. so far as health was
concerned. things irrelevant and i'm.
material. what awaited Il IL the gar
bage pail was emptied every day or
the vent pipe placed I'm the bath
water waste trap, IL the milkman de.
hvered scarlet-fever-infected milk or
an unrecognized case of measels
sat next the children at school?
Sanitary inspection.
The sanitary inspection of the
modern sanitarian, SO far as II re.
lates to infection, begins and usual.
~ ends with the search for CAD the
infected individual OBJ the routes of
spread OF infection from that I'm.
dividual tcD the routes OF spread of
the ordinary excreta of ordinary
uninfected individuals to the mouth
oftheir ordinary associates in ordinary
associates i'm ordinary life. These lat
ter routes are sought for, not be-
cause OF danger from such uninfect
ed discharges, but rather because
infected discharges. introduced into
and following the same well-beater
paths. will necessarily reach the same
mouth. - ',.H
The health department should
concern itself with real health
problems and not be expected tC
spend its resources and energy on
non-healthc pfoblsms. Ashes and gar
"A coin SMAR