Evening star., 1927-05-17
PLAN TOPREvENT
FLOOD EP|DEM|CS
State Health Officers to Meet
Here Saturday on Dis
ease Problem.

Fearing an aftermath Of epidemic
diseases far worse in their effect on
the population than the ravages OF
the Mississippi Valley food itself,
Surg. Gen, Hugh S. Cumming of the
United States Public Health Service
has wired State health officers in the
flooded area requesting them TO as
semble here for a conference Sat.
urday.
Efforts will he. made at this confer
ence. which will be attended by rank
ing Government public health officials,
TO plan adequate sanitary measures to
protect the health of the people in
the sections that have been flooded.
Realizing that some of the State
health officers may he SO occupied
with emergency work in their re-
spective States as to make 1t imprac
tical for them to meet here Saturday,
Surg. Gen. Cumming announced that
if the conference fails TO meet on that
date it will assemble as soon after as
possible.
State health officers of Mississippi
Arkansas, Louisiana. Tennessee. I'LL
nois and Missouri have been request.
ed to meet with the surgeon general
and devise plans for a thorough SAM.
tary rehabilitation of the areas now
affected by the flood One of the chief
advisers to the conference, which Will
seek to insure cooperation between
the health departments OF the various
States will he Surg. l.. l.. Lumsden.
expert in rural sanitation, who has
been in charge of the bureaus cooper
ha1 in
States for many years.
Declared Grave Health Problem.
Surg. Gen. Cumming referred to the
situation which will exist after the
waters have receded as 'one OF the
gravest health problems that has
ever confronted the Nation"
Although so far there have been no
epidemic diseases and but little sick
ness in the refugee camps. according
TO MESA ges from Senior Surgeon John
McMullen, in charge of the work to
prevent the spread i. of epidemic
diseases among the refugees, officials
of the Public Health Service are pre-
pairing to battle with insanitary condi-
lions which will become apparent
after the waters have subsided and
the refugees have returned to their
homes.
Preliminary surveys indicate not
only that sanitary and disease pre-
ventive conveniences have been COM
pletelv washed away. rural homes.
but that in many villages and towns
ranging in population from $50 to
a 600 persons all sanitary conven-
fences have been destroyed.
Facilities Crippled i'm Cities.
"In number of cities ranging in pop
tlation from 5000 to 10000 the water
has been high enough in the outlytng
districts TO cripple sanitary facilities,
Surgeon General Cumming stated,
land in many of these cities chlorina-
tiou and filtration plants have been
flooded. In some instances months
will be required to repair the damage
done TO these plants due to the ac-
cumulation of silt. trash and other
filth in the intricate machinery nee"
eSsary for their operation.
1t is estimated that approximately
1 .OO0, 900 persons have been driven
from their homes by the flood. More
than 400. 900 are in refugee camps. AS
soon as the waters fall. leaving in their
wake destruction and filth, this army
will return to their homes. Health otfi-
GERS then will be confronted with the
immediate problem of sanitary reha-
bilitation and the prevention of inn
minent diseases.
A corps of trained sanitary experts
already has been enlisted to perform
personal preventive services. These
measures will consist Of vaccination
against smallpox, immuniazfion
against typhoid. and the administra-
ton of quinine prophylaXis to protect
the population in those areas in
which malaria is present. Immuniza-
ton measures against smallpox and
typhoid are being taken in the refu-
gee camps.
Preventive Measures Necessary.
In many localities large bodies Of
water will remain for some time in
depressions that have no outlet, neces-
stating oiling and drainage operations
on a large scale to prevent the breed
ing of malaria bearing mosquitoes.
Large numbers of laborers will be
employed in carrying on the general
campaign of reconstruction in the
flooded areas. The work of replacing
the levees and repairing the roads
alone will require the service of
thousands of laborers.
Health authorities are devising
means to see that proper sanitation
will be established to house these
laborers. Unless such sanitation
measures are put into effect the camps
will become a menace to the health
Of the communities in which they are
located, it was pointed out.
Laborers viii be given daily doses
of quinine to protect them against
malaria, and hookworm treatment
viii be provided. Literally miles of
screening will be necessary to pro-
tect the camps from mosquitoes.
breeding N the stagnant pools left
in the wake of the flood, and
thousands of gallons of oil will be
needed to pour on these bodies Of
water to eliminate the breeding of
typhoid bearing mosquitoes.
Plan Uniform Standards.
At the forthcoming conference here
the point viii be urged that uniform
preventive standards against disease
be established and enforced in the
States affec.eG by the food. the
officials of the respective common
wealths cooperating in a common
battle against disease
Surg. Gen. Cumming today directed
Surg, A. ]. Mclaughlin at St. Louis
10 proceed to Memphis and confer
with local and Federal health officials
Results OF his conferences. as we'll as
the reports of the workers now
throughout the flooded district will be
considered at the conference.