The Washington times., 1914-10-23
BY 7. r. HILDEBRAND.

Social workers are worried about
the growing number Of apartment
house dwellers, but in Rome in $50
A. D. there were 1882 houses and
46,6o2 apartments, with an aver
age OF twenty-five persons in each
Of the latter. Evidently the Ro-
mans also had good census office.
Bathing beaches are being agi-
tated for our cities. but If there
had been no bathing places along
the Nile at the time when Phar-
oah's daughters tripped down for
their morning plunge, Moses would
never have had the chance to learn
the medical wisdom of the Egyp-
tians.
Many cities with visiting nurses
consider themselves progressive,
but under one Roman emperor. at
least. physicians were paid by the
state to attend poorer patients
Eugenics is thought to be an
ultra modern fad. but the Spartans
regulated marriages and had baby
shows. Only, instead of giving
medals to perfect babies, they car
ried their eugenics to a logical
conclusion and killed off the frail
puny ones.
And so the list might be multi
piled Indefinitely, according to DR..
D. S. Lamb, Of the Army Medical
Museum. Most of the public sani-
tary and personal hygiene meas
ures advocated by experts of this
day were anticipated in the ancient
civilizations Of thousands of years
before Christ, are discernible
among the Hebrews of Biblical
times, and were worked out on a
large scale among the Greeks and
Romans of an even later day
Mr.. Lamb talked on Sanitation in
Ancient Civilization before the An
thropological Society of Washington
and the Medical Society Of the Dis
trict on Wednesday evening. But
so comprehensive were the medical
and hygienic measures Of ancient
times, he said. that a single paper
only could suggest a few of the
main lines of ancient sanitary effort
He amplif1ed this topic today in an
interview for The Times.
Employees of present-day govern
ments are demanding pensions So
cial workers are concerned with the
increasing delay of the marriage
age. But the Spartans kept their
youth in public classes. teaching
them every form of gymnastic
games, and would not permit them
to marry until they were thirty
years old. Until sixty they were
subject to state discipline. then they
came under the scope of a general
retirement law and probably were
cared for by their government.
Osteopathy is considered a new
form of therapeutics. but the Egyp-
tions knew the value of massage
and practiced it as a curative treat
ment. Baths. too. were emphasized
by Egyptians. Herodotus tells Of
their use of vegetable medicines, and
priests Of the temple shaved their
bodies every three days as an addi
tional insurance Of cleanliness. Peo-
pie paid great attention to cloth
ing. habitations. and gymnastics.
Priests were concerned with public
health. Children lived frugally.
Health departments are among
our most ancient and honored insti-
tutions. Japan had sanitary Of
ficer as early as 1000 p. c. Even in
300 b. c.. there is evidence that the
Chinese bathed, used massage treat
ment. and knew of medical gym
nastics.
the oldest public movements in his
tory, according to DR.. Lambs find
inEs. The Persians, under the law Of
ZOroaster (2500 to 2DOO 3. c. tried to
make babies hearty by having them
endure thirst. hunger and exposure.
Cold baths Of children seem to have
been held in high esteem until the
dav of Galen, the first man to sys-
tematise Roman hygienic rules, who
advocated warm baths for very
young children. insisted that mothers
h2 hipS nntil their second