Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-03
NEW LABORATORY HELD
VITAL TO u. S. HEALTH
Proposed Institution Would Permit. Solu:
ton of Disease Problems Confronting
Science, Advocates Say.

contributions toward the study of health
problems, and insure their wise use
for the solution Of particular problems.
The principles of the bill have been
Endorsed by the leading scientific So
cieties and many prominent scientists
and physicians. These principles are
meritorious, and I believe their enact
ment into law would be highly bene-
fetal, in the promotion of research and
the saving of life"
1t is felt by sponsors of the bill that
the public health scientists have accom-
plished noteworthy results in so far as
the facilities at their disposal would
permit. But by expanding the present
Hygienic Laboratory. establishing the
fellowships and inviting public spirited
gifts. 1t is aimed to create here in wash
ington cooperative. organization In
which leaders in every branch OF science
would be brought together and given
opportunity to work in unison.
"It is confidently believed" says the
Senate committee report on the bill,
"that If there is brought together In
one central place under one directing
head the very ablest experts in the
sciences of medicine, surgery, chemistry,
physics, biology bacteriology, pharnla-
cology, pharmacy, dentistry, ETC., and
a concentrated, united effort for term
u
ease, singing out first the more i'm
portant maladies such as cancer. tuber-
culosis, common cold, pneumonia, etc,
that success will result therefron.
While very remarkable and most bene-
fetal efforts have been made In the
war against disease by our great medl-
cal schools and endowed institutions,
there has never been In any one place
combination and concentration OF all
the branches of science such as Is con-
templated In the national institute OF
health. In our universities constant
work is in progress and should be
generously supported, but too often the
workers are isolated and can devote only
part time to research because Of the
claims of teaching duties"
Cite Smithson Gift.
The establishment here many years
ago of the Smithsonian Institution, on
a donation of $550,000 by James Smith
son, an Englishman, to increase and
diffuse knowledge among men, Is cited
as an illustration of how, under the
pending bill, person so minded could
make similar contribution to the cause
of relieving human suffering and de-
vising means of preventing the spread
of disease. The Smithsonian has grown
| to be recognized as one of the worlds
| foremost research agencies.
Similarly, few years ago, Congress
authorized the Library Of Congress to
| accept donations in furtherance OF
literary advancement, under which ap-
proximately 100000 has been re-
ceived.
There are plenty of unsolved prob
| lens to which the national institute or
| health could apply itself, bringing to-,
gether the combined forces of the sew
eral branches of science that have a
relation to health.
| When the Senate committee held
hearings on the question it was told by
Dr. Reid Hunt. of the department Of
pharmacology Harvard University, that
| ''the diseases which are causing sickness
and death at present are just exactly
those we know least about. It has been
| the history all along that when we learn
more about the causes of disease, then
methods of treatment and cure Develop
| Cancer, different forms of pneumonia.
diseases of the kidneys and diseases OF
hardened blood vessels are conditions
causing many deaths, and about which
the least Is known, according to Dr.
Hunt Very few efforts have been made,
the committee was told, to utilize in the
treatment of disease recent discoveries
in physics, the kind of work which has
led to wireless telegraphy. Z
Lack of Funds Is Handicap. -
| There are clear indications" DR..
Hunt testified, that some of these elec-.
| tromagnetic waves may be of great
value. For example. the cancer of mice
can be made to disappear with a few.
minutes application Of some Of these
waves"
In reporting the bill to the Senate,
the committee stated that the "insuf-
ficiency of funds appropriated for the
| Hygienic Laboratory has been most un-'
fortunate, and has greatly retarded the
development of pure research in the
problems of health by that splendid in
stitution." .'
The Public Health Service has been
| engaged in research into various phases,
| of disease for the last 28 years, and
at the present time it has a staff OF.
several hundred, including those at the
Hygienic Laboratory here and at field
stations in several parts of the coun-,
try. devoting full time to scientific
| studies.
| Officials of the service told the Senate
committee that every major topic OF
public health has been considered at
one time or another by the Public
| Health Service.
i But we realize" one official testi-'
| fed. las much as anybody can that
what remains to be learned today and
! to be applied is vastly greater than
what has been learned"
The first authorization for research,
work by the public health authorities
was granted by Congress in 1901. One
of the earliest efforts was directed att
| the study of leprosy. 1t soon became
!, evident to the public health officials
| that certain mass investigation should
| be undertaken and the first of these
was organized and begun here in 1906,
on the subject of typhoid fever. It Is
felt that the work done on typhoid fever
had a strong influence in stimulating
| investigation of these diseases and the
general development of the studies Of
| euidemiological diseases. -
Typhoid Deaths Reduced.
In 1900 the death rate from typhoid
fever was 35.7 per 100000. A year ago
| it had been reduced to 6 per LOG, 000,.
| according to the testimony given the
Senate committee. State and local
health authorities also worked on this
problem. The committee was told that;
| the extent and completely of the prob,
lens to be dealt with, and the returns
| to be obtained, are the reasons justify
| ing enlargement of Federal public
| health work. ..al
-'- q
Pageantry to Mark
Canadian Parliament