Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-26
DR.. Dixon Dies:
Martyr to DUTY

continued from rage One
medical circles. by whom he was held in
high esteem,
ono OF his last great achievements
was tho Improvement or the state san.
Narlum at Mont Alto. which was placed
in thoroughly up-to-date condition
S,uer 5, Doctor Dixon's supervision. While
'ng the work there. Doctor Dixon
80 Strlckcn with an attack of acute
ses'oh and was obliged 60 remain
'''rc some time before he recovered.
ny was largely through the efforts Of
no.ttor llNon that the Mount Alto SAN
iuIn reached such a high state OF
,a',i..S. lie directed the general or
s,,,iV'o, OF the institution and i'm
Sugurated systems which Greatly re-
uuCeu thc mortality. The Mount Alto
H"Iitarlum Is the largest of its Kind
nr V'e Se oW"0rld and was erected at cost
y, sIV0VOOO. Under the direction Of
Doctor Dixon the cottages I'm ronnection
WIN II were built so that the patients
time '''' ms "'' "'' wv
mere We're frequent rumors that Doc
,pF plAon would resign the health COM
UlSslonership Of the state but these
We're repeatedly denied by the Commits.
Vutii VINO declared very recently that
mr hlu Governor Brumbaugh were work
"'L togStner harmoniously.
Nhcn the Legislature of 1905 created
ln' department Of Health the late Gov
cthor fcnnypackcr In conformity with
tnt new law. appointed Dr. Dixon to be
state Commissioners
From tho establishment of nur nres.
cnt system OF government no state Of
IlylaI nad been given such absolute pow
'' over the, expenditure of funds and
over the lives and health and sanitary
Mc!i're OF millions Of people as the then
new commissioner Of Health At the
direction Of the commissioner and with.
uht submission to any higher authority
n'rS could be expended the hundreds
q. thousands of dollars appropriated
to his department.
Tho commissioner power was alb
solutc regarding the health of the state.
on nus authority entire communities
,"uid b" placed under quarantine and
the police authorities were compelled
to enforce his orders without the q X
ni any other official. How Doctor Dixon
4 UlreW safeguards around the health OF
various communities and the state IT,
'eIl rs now matter Of record While
county officials often differed with him
regarding his plans there was sclApui
amy serious friction.
PENNYrACKER's TRIBUTE
In his autobiography. now running in
tn" EVENING PUBLIC Ledger. the late
Governor Pcnnypacker, In speaking of
Doctor niNons work as head of tho
state Department OF Health, said:
ilu'I MS NlTtCtlOn II has come To he
accepted as the most important and ef.
tciont organization for this line Of worl,
~ the United States. There is good
ground for hope that many OF the in
Ia,'iihatoiF diseases due to specific poi
sons, such as typhoid fever SMALLPOX,
uiphtheria aud tuberculosis. may be in
ulno stamped out of existence "
During the infantic paralysis cpl
Honllc N Philadelphia and other nearby
towns the precautionary measures taken
by Doctor Dixon are believed To have
been responsible for a great reduction
IN the mortality,
Tho Commissioner got into numerous
'ontroNcrsies with health officials OF
other states aud also with the United
states Bureau Of Public Health because
ne StcadiaStlN refused to lie. Pennsyl-
Nnnia become the dumping ground for
thlldrcn from other states without Ger.
,lnGa'es to prove that they were free
from the disease.
The enforcement of many Of the state
health laws during the last ten years
was due largely to the aggreSsiveness of
Doctor Dixon. lie believed in getting
at. the root of things and attacking the
cause of disease.
In one OF his hcalph campaigns he
toured many sections of the State and
performed valuable service in stopping
the pollution Of streams. Industrial es-
t&hlishincnts as well as individuals were
brought to account for sending waste
matter INTO the brooks, lakes and rivers
During his fight against disease and
germs. Doctor Dixon invented a bscteri-
oioElcal manipulating chamber which
permits the scientist to experiment with
the dcadlest germs without danger t0
himself. He also invented an apparatus
Tor the chemical cleansing OF air In tho
chambers of hot-air furnaces and n,i-
merous medical appliances which are
now used universally.
DOCTOR DINON'S CAREER
pr. Samuel Gibson Dixon was born il
Philadelphia on the Dixon homestead be.
low Bartram's Gardens on March %
1891. Following his elementary educa
tlon in schools of the Friends he had
| three years instructions under special
tutors.
lie undertook the study of mcdicin,
when a youth. but his studies were in.
tcrrupted by a lengthy trip to Europe
I pon his return he studied law, was
admitted 10 the bar and soon established
lucrative practice. inccssant work
eventually impaired his health. lie wa,
compelled to abolish his legal work and
subsequently, devoted his time to raising
horses, cattle and dogs.
On recovering his health he returned
to tho study Of medicine ut the Uni
v'rsity of Pennsylvania. His progress
was so rapid that while still a student
he was appointed an assistant demon
Strator in physiology, lie took his final
examinations while suffering from q So
we're attack Of typhoid fever and obtained
his degree in 1856. trip to Europe
improved his health and on his return
he was elected professor of hygiene at
the University Of Pennsylvania. lie
subsequently studied in England and
Germany and later accepted charge of
the advance work of bacteriology at the
Academy Of Natural Sciences.
Doctor Dixon gained much renowu
IN this work and especially for his dis
covcries concerning tuberculosis lie
became imDued with the idea of obtain