Evening star., 1926-09-28

If Uncle Sam does not feel JUST
right this week. if his blood pressure
is too high or his heart is pumping
TOO loudly. the cause Is easily olS-
cerned, for there is a n-Amerlcan
Conference of National Directors OF
public Health in session in the Ma
tional Capital and an international
Conference on tuberculosis in prepa-
ration for next week. If that is not
enough to cause trouble in the aver
age citizens physical or neurotlc ma
chinery, he must be superman:
In his welcoming address, DR.. Hugh
S. Cumming, Surgeon General OF
the United States Public Health
Service, referred to the fact that
this is the centennial year OF the
first pan-American meeting of any ma
ture. That was held in Panama. The
United States Ambassador died of a
malignant fever en- route to that, ana
when the alternate arrived he found
the meeting had adjourned to a point
near Mexico City, because the Pan
anna climate was proving so fatal.
Yet the flight was the only reference
to health or sanitation in connection
with that meeting. 1t seems that
pra actically all knowledge of medicine,
sanitation and health has been achlev-
ed within the last century and half
many modernists are inclined to say
within the last decade and a half.
1t Is only about century and a
third since Jenner discovered the Sc
cret of vaccination with cowpoX as a
means of preventing smallpox. There
are skeptics to this day who, in ig-
norance of the indisputable records,
would question the results Of vaccina-
ton. Yet the science has almost
driven smallpox from civilized com
munitieS.
Today doctors vaccinate for preven-
ton of numerous diseases aside from
smallpox. Perhaps no more dis
tinctly modern instance can be cited
than that wherein a boy at Eagle
Pass, Tex, was bitten by a rattle
snake a few weeks ago and was in
what appeared to be death spasms. A
telephone call was sent to the Anti
venom Institute at Ell Paso, asking for
a doctor to come with a supply of
anticrotalus serum. The doctor ar
rived "out of the sky" as if Heaven
sent, and few doses of the serum
the first administered two hours after
the bite and in the midst Of death
paroxysms" - restored the patient
fully within one day. Another case,
almost identical. occurred at Sander
son, Tex, two days later, with similar
happy recovery, made possible by the
Army Air Corps and a supply OF anti
crotaluS serum.
1t was the rare privilege of the
present writer to chance upon meet
ing Of scientists in Paris one after
noon while living in the French capi-
tai, and his curiosity was aroused
when from within there came the
sound OF extraordinary applause.
What was all that applause about?
"Oh, NJ. Pasteur, He has discov-
cred a means of preventing hydro
phobia. Cest merveilleuX."
The next morning. early, the in
quisitive layman visited the Pasteur
laboratory and was greeted with great
cordiauty and simplicity by the great
est scientist Of his generation, who did
not disdain to explain his processes,
show his rabbits and discourse lin
realms far beyond the easy compre-
hension of his visitorl upon the the
cries, or rather the demonstrations, he
had accomplished IN taking the serum
Of hydrophobia, alternating it SO that
the human resistance could react
against the first dose, then daily in
creaSing the strength of the serum
dose until full strength could be over.
come by the now immune body-and
that immunity was reached before the
serum injected by the bite Of the mad
dog could ''incubate" and slay the vic.
tim. That was just 40 years ago.
Yes, it was 'nlarvelous'-the pos
sibility of that revolutionary addition
to medical knowledge being so simply
explained to a young layman that 1t
became clear, in spite of limited
French and infinite naivete as to
bacteriology. Needless to add that
that made a STORY" for cable news
to America-the first report thereof