Evening star., 1927-05-22
Dr.. NicolI Starts Spirited
Debate at Meeting of
Health Officers.
WANTS UNBIASED BODY
TO MAKE INVESTIGATION
Advocates Secret Reports to Obtain
Data-Cumming Would Avoid
Trouble"


260 per cent increase In deaths from
alcoholism for the United States
registration area from 1920 to 1925,
and as high as 500 per cent in Ger.
tain States, including Maryland, pro.
duced a sensation yesterday at the
closing session Of the twenty.fifth an
nual conference of State and terri.
torial health officers with the Public
Health Service. ,..-
The seriousness Of the problem, de.
clared DIR. Matthias NicolI, jr., New
York State commissioner Of health, Is
emphasized by the fact that the total
number Of deaths in this country of.
ficially ascribed by the Census Bureau
to alcoholism and cirrhosis Of the liver
was approximately $1,000 during this
period. These figures. he said, fall "far
short of representing the actual mum.
ber of deaths directly due to these two
causes, and throw no light on the
steadily mounting deaths from acci.
dents and violence. Of which over.
indulgence in alcohol is the immediate
cause"
Coupled with this sensational revela.
ton. DR.. Nicoll precipitated a spirited
discussion by openly advocating that
specific deaths from alcoholism be
kept secret from the general public in
order to obtain accurate Federal data.
He followed this with a suggestion
that Surg. Gen. H. 8. Cumming OF
the Public Health Service appoint q
non-partisan comraittee of experts to
investigate such deaths In this
country.
Take Up Subject Quickly. :
others among the health officers
were quick to take UP the discussion.
but it failed finally in any action be.
ing taken by the conferencs. Twenty.
eight States. most of them lying along
the Atlantic seaboard. were repre-.
sented.
In advancing the proposition that
death from alcohol be held In conn.
dence in Government files, DR.. Nicoll
declared that physicians will not at.
tribute the death Of o patient to this
cause II 1t possibly can be avoided.
Such returns, he said, make the re.
ported number OF alcoholic deaths
far less than the actual number.
After DR.. Nicoll opened the discus
sion. which was confined strictly to a
consideration of alcohol In relation to
public health. DR.. 8. w. Welch Of Ala
bama, DIR. George III. Bigelow Of
Massachusetts, and DIR. A. T. Nc.
Cormick Of Kentucky contributed to
1t. Wayne B. Wheeler, general coun-
sci OF the Anti-Saloon League, an in.
terested spectator at the meeting, aft
erward expressed himself as favoring
the appointment Of a non-partisan
committee. functioning "from an edu-
cational and public health standpoint"
Swiss System Recommended.
DR.. Nicoll recommended that the
Swiss system of registration be
adopted, which permits physicians to
report such deaths by means Of q
confidential death card" recorded in
such way that the federal statistical
bureau alone has knowledge Of facts
relating to the death of a patient
which the attending physician wishes
to withhold from local registrars and
the public =
The number Of excessive drinkers
in the United States is sufficiently high
at the present time. he said, ito be a
matter OF great public interest,""
Deaths from alcoholism reached
their lowest level. DR.. Nicoll finds, in
1870. but the rate at which such
deaths have increased since 1890 is
26O per cent Of the 1920 figure for the
United States registration area, and
as high as 500 per cent and over in
such States as Maryland, Missouri,
Delaware and Illinois.
Points to Increase.
1--WE hear much" said DIR. Nicoll.
''of the ever-increasing death rate
from diseases Of the heart and blood
vessels. from diabetes and cancer, and
the tremendous toll OF lives which
these three diseases annually take Is,
n ootS o..
from alcoholism, but the rate of in.
crease in each is far below that which
has occurred since 1920 in the case Of
deaths from alco' IL"
DIR. Nicoll proposed that the com.
mittee to investigate deaths from
alcoholism in this country include q
statistician, sociologist. economist,
representative of the larger industries,
representative Of organized labor,
representative Of life insurance com.
panies. a leading educator. a State
health officer. representing the State
and Provincial health authorities OF
North America; a health officer of
one Of the great cities and physician
representing the American Medical
Association.
Suggests Kind Of Men.
81 need hardly say that the persons
CuOSCH cAlOuIu UC ttlC DCSI XCptCSCuId~
tives obtainable in their particular
fields" he said, free from precon.
ceived ideas or bias. personal or
political. and absolutely independent
Of outside influences"
DIR. Welch approved the idea
IF the creation Of some such commit
tee, although he intimated that It had
best be chosen under some other
auspices than that Of the United
States Public Health Service. such as
The Public Health Association OF
North America. The Alabama health
officer expressed doubt that a commit.
ZEE could be found with a personnel
entirely free from official influence.
Commenting on finding men to serve
IN such a committee with no precon.
,eived ideas. DR.. Bigelow said that
Diogenes with his lantern had an
'asy time in comparison. ~
II don't know IL 1t has become more
II stigma or less of a stigma to die
II alcoholism now" he said, 'but II at