New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-05
Retiring Head Says Meet
ing Was Most Import
ant Ever Held.
TYPHOID BIGGEST
TOPIC OF THE DAY
New President, William T. Sedg'
wick, Chosen Without His
knowledge.
[By Telegraph to The Tribune !

Jacksonville, Fla, Dec. 4.-The forty
second annual session of the American
Public Health Association came 20 a
close to-day with the adoption OF the
advisory committees report on officers
for the ensuing year. This report is the
same as announced last night, but in
addition contains the names of Dr. John
F. Anderson, Of Washington, United
States Public Health Service; DR.. j.
II. Lands, health officer of Cincinnati,
and Alfredo Dominquez, post officer Of
Havana, Cuba, as new members OF the
executive committee. Honorary mem
bership in the association was con-
ferred on DR.. Eduardo Liceaga. for
many years president of the Bureau of
Health of Mexico City.
A new section of industrial hygiene
and a committee to extend the regis
tration area of deaths and births were
provided for. A more extended use Of
autopsies as checks on diagnostic work
in hospitals was urged in resolutions
adopted.
The local press and the papers of the
country generally are thanked in resolu-
tons for their work in spreading knowl-
edge of the associations proceedings.
Federal, state, provincial and munich
pal governments are remembered for
the cooperation given in sending Off
Gals to the convention to assist in the
public health work.
Just after the close of the conven.
ton, DR.. William c. Woodward, Of
Washington, the retiring president,
said:
"The convention was probably the
most significant and important meeting
ever held by the association. We have
gone further in the last five days tow
ard making the association an active
force in the public health field of the
United States, Canada, Mexico and
Cuba than in all the previous forty
two years of its existence.
81 do not mean by this to compare
the present with the past. The history
of the association is an honorable one
and is filled with substantial accom-
plishments in public health progress.
II has taken the lead in nearly all the
scientific sides of public health work
New needs, however, have been de
veloped. The chief needs in the public
health field now are coordination
Of all public health forces in one or
ganization, with an adequate staff, ana
an active, militant field effort for the
stimulation of public health work and
for the support of laudable public
health legislation. 1t is the feeling
that we have made substantial prog
ress in this meeting toward both these
ends that fixes the Jacksonville con-
vention as Of such tremendous impor-
lance in the future development OF our
activities"
OF the addresses marking the last
DAVIS session, that of Louis |. Dublin,
statistician of the Metropolitan Life
Insurance Company, on deaths from
typhoid fever, was held as probably
ths most important. Mr.. Dublin said
the country suffers an annual loss CT
5000 lives as the result OF typhoid
among persons who apparently recover,
BIT who die within three years as the
result of it's debiitating effects. He
said that the death rate from typhoid
is 40 per cent greater than the typhoid
death record indicates.
DR.. John S. Fulton, secretary of the
Board of Health of Maryland, said the
danger of getting typhoid fever in
creases in direct ratio TO the distance
travelled away from the big cities.
The new president is William I.
Sedgwick, professor of sanitary biology
in the Massachusetts, Institute of Tech
nology. He was not present at the
1t was a case of the office
seeking the man. He did not know of
his election or that his name was to be
considered. A telegram to-day from
the secretary announced to him the
fact of his election. He is called the
father OF sanitary science, and has
written extensively on public health
science