Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-05
TYPHOID '|!' OIL FEVER I! Err TAKES
HEAVY TOLL OF LIVES
Death Record Each Year Declared to
lie 40 Per Cent Greater Than
Record Indicates.
JACKsoNVILLE MEETING ENDS
american Public Health Association
Elects New Oficers--Nathan Straus
Urges Cities to Control, Milk Sup
ply to Stop Six Plaques.

rrofessor William r. Scdg wick, of
hoston was elected president OF the
american Public Health Association
ut the closing scssIon OF It's annual
convention here to-day. Rochester
AZ ~ was selected as the convention
city for 1915.
ot'ier officers elected by the asso1
citation We're:
~ Or G. s. Hastings. health officer,
toronto. Can, frs; icc-presideut; Dr.
Juan puitcras, Havana, Cuba. second
Ficn-presidon,: DIR. g. E. Terry, health
o'iicti'. Jacksonvillc, Fla, third vice
PRESIDENT: DR. :. N. Gum, Boston, sec
rctart; DR.. Leo X. Franlcl, New York
CITY, treasurer.
Dr j. j. Anderson, or the United
SthtcS- Public Health Service. WASH
inHton: Dr. i. II. f.andis. health officer
cincinnati. and IL. Alfredo Domin-
BnsE. port officer. Havana, Cuba, we're
elected. members OF tile executive COM
n'ittcc. Professor Sedgwicli. the new
precedent, is connected with the Mass
chnsctts, Institute of Technology.
honorary membership was confer
rei by the association on Or. ,Eduare
JhecraKa. for many years president OF
ne Bureau Of Health at Mexico city.
now section OF industrial hygiene.
appointment OF n committee TO cx-
tend the registration area OF deaths
aud births, and the more extended use
OF antopsies In checking up diagnosises
~ hospitals were recommended to-
day In resolutions adopted by tlic con-
vcntion.
Eight thousand lives are lost an
nually in the United States as a re-
suit OF typhoid fever among pcrsons
who apparently recover from that dig
ease but who die from it's facilitating
effects, according TO Louis /. Dublin,
st;ttiaticinn ofNn life insurance com
phny. In an address before the con-
rcntion to-day. AIR. Dublin declared
the death from typhoid is 40 per cent
greater than the record indicated. This
statement, he said. Was based upon
facts revealed by his investigation.
which showed large percentage Of
those afflicted with the disease died
within It few years from resultant
causes
The convention WAS formally -ad-
3ourned with the election of officers.
although number OF sectional meet
| in8s were held this afternoon.
FoH MUNICIPAL CONTROL
OF THE MILK SUPPLY
Nathan Straus. the pioneer who for
twqnty-thrcc years has urged the pu
riiiration OF the milk supplies by pas
tcurization, to-day argued that tho
municipalities ought TO take over the
protection of the milk supplies.
H. a paper before the American
Public Health Association he pointed
out that .city-owned. city-Durified and
city-distributed water supplies had cut
out one Of the three great causes OF
typhoid fever. and this policy had
been vindicated."
| Put" he said, milk, even more than
water, Is Il carrier OF tile germs OF
disense: not OF one disease, but OF six
typhoid. scarlet fever, diphtheria,- septic
sore thront. summer complaints. and.
more serious than all else, milk is Il
common vehicle for the transmission OF
tuberculosis TO human beings.
We have the fact that municipal
governments interviewed and took con-
troll of the water supplies chiefly TO
stop the ravasinS OF their cities by
one disease--typhoid fever. My propo-
sition is that the same policy should
be followed in dealing with an article
food Of universal Use and necessity that
is n common cause of six plaques.
"ghc obligation to do this is rccog-
nized by every municipality; the eS-
tent to which tho obligation Is carried
out varies. The method everywhere is
supcrvision--the method that was tried
and proved insufficient in the protec-
tion OF the people from typhoid germs
in water.
.ETle only room for discussion is as
10 how this duty is to he fulfilled. BY
ordinances that are not enforced? BY
! inspection that does not inspect? BY
] post norton supervision that deals
with dairyman or dealer after tho
raw milk has started all epidemic?
.At q vast expenditure OF effort a
great Improvement has been achieved
= in the milk supplies OF cities. No one
knows this better than i do, for / have
followed this work day in and day out
through twcnty-thrce long yeare. am
thankful for what has been done. But
yet 1t remains true that much Of the
milk sold in the cities is neither pure
I nor safe.
THE consequence is that milk borne
diseases continue to exact their toll OF
, human lives. particularly of infant
lives.
81 would be the last to discount or
to criticize the action taken by New
York City and Philadelphia, and con-
templated or partially carried out In
many other cities. in requiring the
proper pnsteurizution of the milk sup
plies under municipal supervision. This
is the greatest step forward in the his
tory of the modern war for the pre-
vention OF disease 1t will save lives.
not by hundreds, but by thousands
"But I would be less than frank IL
did not admit that look forward 20
a system more efficient than pastcuriza-
ton under municipal supervision. Such
supervision is OF necessity occasional,
ard lacking incomplete efficiency. Its
history, L believe, will parallel that OF
municipal supervision OF the purinca-
ton of privately operated water sup
plies. 1t will do much good, but finally
will give way, ] believe, to q system
that Will do more good.
absolute municipal control Of the
milk supplies will, believe, be found
to be the effective way, not merely to
check, but TO wipe out the milk borne
. DISEASES.
'sThis thorough control may be
q achieved in two ways:
by the cities taking over the func-
ton OF supplying milk to consumers,
70 just as the cities nave taken over the
+ function of supplying water to each
| household.
cor by the cities performing the
j function Of pnsteurizing the cntire>milk
1 supply aud delivering the milk III
sealed containers 20 the dealers for
distribution.
I "Neither system means increased cost
! OF milk, for the first wipes out the high
cost OF competition, with the duplicn-
+ ton OF milk routes by rival dealers.
while both systems give the benefits of
thp economies of Nu fp,C large