Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1914-11-27

1,e~lon Inc surgeon-generaI of the service is
Diue' whose research work and whose &C
comphsnment in lines of medical endeavor are
Wen known to the profession There GRO civ as
1r z surgeon-generals, Doctors A. H. Glennan,
w. G' simpson, L. F.. Cofer 7 w Kerr w g.
tucker and j. W. Trask They are all stationed
~ ""Sninston and have direction over the va
rious Drancnes In all parts of the country.
Recently In the medical council there appeared
TINS prlet out conclusive statement of the mani
Told functions of the public health service of the
United States government:
cooperating through the health authorities
OF the states, the service collects data upon the
prevalence and distribution of disease admins.
ters interstate quarantine, suppresses epidemics
conducts research work. maintains national quar-.
antine, examines immigrants regulates the rnann
facture and sale of biologc medicinal products in
interstate traffic and furnishes medical treatment
to various branches of the government service
Officers Of the service may be assigned to duty in
any part of the world"
1t is the intention in the present article to take
up and describe only one of the works and fields
of labor of the public health service The waters
OF Chesapeake bay and its inlets and tributaries
form the field of an enormous industry. It is
from these waters that taken large part of
the shell fish approved a delectabIe food by
thousands and perhaps millions who never saw
salt water. How many Americans nodding with
the approval of appetite their oysters on the
half she'll know that it has been made matter
of government concern that the shell fish should
be food as safe to the health as it is grateful
to the taste?
1t has been said that the American people show
great interest in dreadnaught, big ship built
for offensive purposes, and, If 1t is not putting it
too strongly mainly for the sinking of other ships
and their crews along with them-a killing pur-
pose. Is it not to be hoped that an equal II not
a greater interest may one day be created in the
little ships of the government whose only work
and only purpose saving ones?
In the control of the public health service is
little ship called the Bratton. 1t bears the name
of a surgeon of the service who did commanding
work for mankind in great yellow fever epidemic
and who laid down his life for humanity. The
scene of the Brattons activities is ON the waters
of the great shell fish producing bay which washes
Maryland and the tributaries thereto It is one OF
the ships helping to guard the lives Of ninety mil
lions of people.
The work of safeguarding the shell fish beds
from pollution and thereby performing the work
of prevention at source from which danger fire.
quently springs falls in the field of direction of
Assistant Surgeon-General ]. w. Kerr, 'ir charge
of the division of scientific research" To give
an idea of the immensity of the field of precau-
tion prevention and cure coming under the dfrec-
ton of one man it may be said that Doctor Kerr's
duties as set forth in the organization chart of
the service appear follows: Laboratories;
leprosy investigation station. Hawaii; hygienic
laboratory Washington d. c.; division of chemis-
try, zoology pharmacology, pathology and bac-
teriology. Field Investigations: Diseases affect
ing man, pollution of streams by sewage and In
ldustria wastes. rural hygiene and school hygiene.
The services Of the good ship Bratton are given