Drs. Schrevens and Gibert, from France; Dr. Abbott, of Mass.; Dr. Pagett, of Salford; in discussing diphtheria and typhoid diseases from defective drainage, laid stress upon purity of air and cleanliness of the soil as the chief points for consideration. The same indispensable principle of sanitation was shown in respect to meat and milk used for food. In France 5 per 1,000 of animals used as food are tuberculous, such disease resulting from wrong methods of breeding, feeding, and managing these useful animals.
Professor Ralli showed how parasites could be conveyed from animals to men, and dwelt on clean bedding, coverings, suitable food, water, free exercise, as the necessary prophylaxis.
Dr. Hime, of Bradford, and Chauveau, of France, dwelt upon terrible diseases, such as the woolsorters’ disease, to which men are exposed who handle the skin, horns, etc., of animals—diseases which are entirely preventable if the manufacturers engaged in such trades would place the health of men above the profit to be gained by trade; thorough ventilation, disinfection, and other sanitary measures would entirely prevent the present reckless destruction of health. The same was true in the large industry of sorting rags imported from abroad, of match-making, etc.
It is a noteworthy fact that in the section of the Congress devoted to the relation of diseases of men and animals, which I especially attended, sanitary prophylaxis alone was dwelt upon as the condition of supreme importance. Inoculation was not advocated by any speaker, except the official representative of the French Pasteur Institute.[2]
Compliments were duly paid to M. Pasteur, whose skill and zeal in a false method of research may justly command intellectual recognition. But no one in any case advocated the theory of diffusing mild forms of disease for the purpose of preventing the severe type in the important and practical discussions which took place daily in relation to diseases common to man and the lower animals.
Thus a great principle of progress in the prevention of disease and in the attainment of a higher standard of health was directly or indirectly acknowledged by this varied body of men of trained intelligence and large experience—viz., the paramount importance of sanitary knowledge and practice.
Obedience to the conditions of healthy growth is the law of progress, from which there is no escape. It is the only way by which disease can be gradually eradicated. Every attempt at evasion inevitably brings its own retribution in various ways, swiftly or slowly, but surely.
All medical by-paths leading in a different direction from the conditions of healthy life, however tempting they may appear to active intellectual curiosity, or however desirable it may seem to find a short cut to health, necessarily lead to error if the supreme importance of sanitation be ignored.
Now, notwithstanding the large amount of valuable experience brought together in this International Congress, there was one serious omission in the otherwise wide and interesting plan of the Congress—an omission which had a direct practical bearing on the discussions carried on in the various sections. This vitiating lack was the failure to recognise the fundamental connection of mind and body in the phenomena of Life. There was no appointment of any special section which should give prominence to this subject, and thus strike the keynote capable of bringing all the sections into harmony.
This omission was the more noteworthy because a section was devoted to the theories of bacteriology, which, as will be seen, are directly opposed to the true science of Health.