The Washington herald., 1921-07-05
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TUESDAY, JULY {. IszI

INVESTIGATIONS OF q. q.
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
The United States Public health
Service has an enviable record of the
contributions that its investigation
have made tn prevention and con
troll Of diseases. Some Of the high
points in its work have been:
The observation made by a service
ofncer. al to the incubation periods
Of yellow fever, materially aided in
the discovery by Reed and Carol.
Of the United States army. Of the
method Of transmission OF yellow
fever by the mosquito. The service
demonstrated the role played by
cholera carriers in the spread Of
| cholera in the Philippine Islands.
The service has shown that
pellagra is a disease caused by i'm
proper diet, and that the prevention
and cure of the disease lie in the
eating Of a well-balanced diet IL
made the first practical demonstra-
tion that beriberi was caused by the
use of polished rice. Beriheri was
eliminated from the government in
stitutions in the Philippine Islands
by dietary measures.
BY its Investigation Of leprosy the
public health service has developed
q method of treatment which
promises a cure.
The Investigations Of the service
on the causes Of death and sudden
death in the use Of drugs for the
cure Of syphilis have demonstrated
how the five or six million doses OF
srsphenamine annually administered
may be given safely.
When the public health service
was charged by law with the super
vision OF biologic products. il car
ried on the extremely difhcult task
Of preparing and preserving
standard diphtheria antitoXin unit.
which had never been done before
and which by some was deemed to
be impracticsble.
The service has developed most
effective methods for the cure OF
trachoms, q chronic disease Of the
eyes which has blinded many
thousands and has been regarded by
some as incursble.
The service first studied the
phenomenon known 10 scientists as
ness" which has been found 20
play a most important part in the
question of susceptibility to and
immunity from disease.
The service played an important
part in the demonstration Of the
transmission Of typhus fever by
lice, and identified typhus fever
, with the so-called Births" disease
endemic in New York City.
The cause of deer fly fever. a
new disease epidemic in Utah. was
, discovered by the service during
1919. That the California ground
squirrel could act as a natural host
OF the insect carrier of the plague
bacillus was its discovery. Had IL
| not been for this discovery il would
have been impossible TO control
plague on the Pacific Coast.
A method Of treating oysters
from polluted oyster beds. SO
as to make them safe for mar
ket use, was discovered by the
public health service. This process
has been extensively adopted in
England and without doubt will be
, widely used in the United States.
The service developed the new.
widely used "hygienic laboratory
\ methods of determining the phenol
: coeficient of disinfectsnts" II ais
developed the cyanide method OF
. disinfection. by which vessels and
buildings can be rapidly and ef-
J fectively rid of rats and vermin.
= The service made the important
E discovery that measles is contagious
A only during the first few days, and
v placed health oficers in the posses
0 sion of knowledge to handles
a measles cases intelliGently. The
. method OF controlling Rocky Noun
A tain spotted fever by heep-grazing z
was described and developed.
The service first studied and
pointed out the important sources
, Of pollution Of the waters of the
Great Lakes and the Missouri River
:, and made recommendations that are
being rapidly adopted for the con-
, troll of such pollution.
The service has given great i'm
!, petus to measures for controlling
. veneral diseases. Under its leader,
!. ship. forty-seven States have or
ganized special divisions in thell
State health departments for th'
control Of these diseases: 427 clinics
operated under general control "I
the public health service and th'
State board OF health gave l,576.54:
treatments during the fiscal veal
1920.
The identification Of the American
.pecies Of hookworm as cause o.
widespread anemia was first &C
complished by an oficer Of th'
service, and has resulted in a not
J. able diminution in the prevalence o.
pt this disease.
A. studies made by the service o'
the relation Of milk to public healtl
have resulted in widespread meas
er ures for the improvement Of mill
supplies, with corresponding reduc
e, ton Of diseases caused by pollute'
milk.
~ w. ID.