sage of the sundry civil appropriation act of March 3, 1901, (31 Stat. L., 1137), which made an appropriation for the erection of a laboratory "for the investigation of infectious diseases and matters pertaining to the public health." The act of July 1, 1902 (32 Stat. L., 712), provided definitely for the organization and management of the Hygienic Laboratory. The laboratory work in connection with the testing of biologic products is discussed on page 129. The other work carried on at the Hygienic Laboratory includes the studies that are pertinent to field investigations and those that have application to the diseases of man. The scope of this work can be defined only in general terms, and an enumeration of studies made during the fiscal year 1920 will best indicate its character. Work in pathology and bacteriology included tuberculosis research studies of specific immunity and the treatment of experimental tuberculosis in guinea pigs by means of compounds derived from chaulmoogra oil. Studies of pneumonia vaccines have been made to determine the efficiency of the agents now in use and to increase the protective value of these products. Meningitis investigations have comprised technical studies of the bacteria and attempts to improve methods of testing the potency of commercial serums. Antirabic vaccine virus for 1702 treatments was manufactured in the laboratory and sent to state health organizations. In addition thirty-one patients were given the Pasteur treatment. In the field of pharmacology special attention has been paid to the chemotheraphy of syphilis and related diseases. This work has followed four distinct lines (1) biological standardization of commercial arsphenamine and neoarsphenamine, the standard remedies for syphilis; (2) a study of the causes of arsphenamine intoxication and methods of prevention (3) investigation of the mode of action of the remedies on the parasites; and (4) a study of methods of treating syphilis in the central nervous system. As over six million doses of arsphenamine are used in the United States each year the importance of obtaining all available information regarding the effects of the drug can easily be seen. Other work included studies of hookworm remedies, of the food value of dried milk, and of poisoning by trinitrotoluol, and the compilation of comments on the United States Pharmacopoeia. Chemical researches include work on the disposal of chemical wastes, the use of ultra-violet rays in water purification, the use of ozone in ventilation, the composition of reconstructed milk, the detection and estimation of poisonous nitro compounds, the detection and estimation of impurities in arsphenamine and neoarsphenamine, and the determination of the preservatives used in therapeutic serums. In the field of zoology the work has included studies of human excreta, the continuance of the preparation of the index to medical and veterinary zoölogy, and examinations for intestinal parasites. Other Scientific Work. Investigations undertaken during recent years and not described above, include the following: Human excreta disposal; survey of delinquency, dependency, and feeble-mindedness in Oregon; studies of milk supplies; industrial wastes; railroad sanitation, including gases in tunnels; and character of drinking water. Conference with State and Territorial Health Authorities. An annual conference of the health authorities of the states, territories, and the District of Columbia for promoting the "interests of the public health" is provided for by section 7 of the act of July 1, 1902 (32 Stat. L., 712), the states, territories, and the District of Columbia being entitled to one delegate each. These conferences keep the service in touch with the state boards of health and give opportunity for an exchange of views on subjects of current interest. The report of the proceedings is published as a Public Health Bulletin. Work for other governmental agencies. Some of the work undertaken for other government departments has already been discussed on preceding pages, particularly the medical inspec tion of immigrants,28 hospital and medical relief,29 and physical examinations.30 The personnel and the facilities of the Public Health Service have been used from time to time by many organizations in other departments of the service, with the exception of the War and Navy Departments, which have their own medical establishments. The medical departments of the Army and Navy have not attempted to do any general health or sanitary work except in connection with military and naval forces, and consequently the Public Health Service is the adviser of the civilian branches of the government on matters related to health and sanitation. The activities listed below are not given as an exhaustive account of this work but as typical of what has been done in this field. Soon after the passage of the act of August 23, 1912 (37 Stat. L., 417), which provided that a drug should be regarded as misbranded if the label contained any false statement regarding the curative or therapeutic effect of the preparation, an officer of the service was detailed to assist the Bureau of Chemistry of the Department of Agriculture, which was charged by law with the administration of the pure food and drug law. The act making appropriations for the Department of Agriculture for the fiscal year 1919, approved October 1, 1918 (40 Stat. L., 992), gave specific authority for the detail of officers of the Public Health Service to the Department of Agriculture to assist in this work, their compensation to be paid from the appropriations made to the Department of Agriculture. The Bureau of Mines shortly after its organization requested the assistance of the Public Health Service in making studies of mine sanitation and the diseases of miners. The sundry civil appropriation act for the fiscal year 1918, approved June 12, 1917 (40 Stat. L., 146), and those for succeeding years provided that medical officers of the Public Health Service may be detailed for work with the Bureau of Mines, their com 28 See page 105. 29 See page 76. 30 See page 86. pensation to be paid from the appropriations to that Bureau. Work for other organizations of the government has included the following: Sanitary surveys of government buildings in Washington except those under the War and Navy Departments, by direction of the President; sanitary surveys of Yosemite, Yellowstone, General Grant, and Sequoia National Parks, at the request of the Department of the Interior; sanitary surveys of post-offices, at the request of the Post Office Department; the examination of specimens and bacteriological tests for the Office of Indian Affairs; aid to the Bureau of Internal Revenue in drawing up regulations for the execution of the antinarcotic and prohibition laws. Public Health Education. During the last three years the Public Health Service has made a special effort to educate the public in health matters through the press and by means of popular bulletins written especially for the layman. A daily health column is prepared for publication in newspapers throughout the country, and a series of questions and answers on health topics is given circulation through the same agency. Food supplies of vessels. Section 4557 of the Revised Statutes as amended by the act of December 21, 1898 (30 Stat. L., 757), gives the judge of a federal court power to appoint surveyors to examine any vessel in case complaint is made by the crew that the vessel is not properly equipped. If the complaint is about provisions, one of the surveyors must be a medical officer of the Public Health Service, if the service has a station at the place where the complaint is made. This is a minor activity, and probably, is seldom exercised. CHAPTER III ORGANIZATION The head of the Public Health Service is the Surgeon General, who under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury is responsible for the supervision of all matters connected with the administration of the affairs of the service. He is directly assisted by an executive officer who acts on behalf and by order of the Surgeon General in all matters of routine administration. The detailed work of the service is carried on by means of the following administrative units, which report directly to the Surgeon General : Office of Chief Clerk. Inspection Service Division of Personnel and Accounts Hospital Division Division of Venereal Diseases Division of Domestic (Interstate) Quarantine Division of Foreign and Insular Quarantine and Immigration Division of Scientific Research The Office of the Chief Clerk, the Inspection Service, and the Division of Personnel and Accounts are institutional units, as they are concerned entirely with matters relating to the operation of the service, and do not carry on any of the activities for which the service exists. These units assist the other units in carrying on their work. The other seven units are functional, as they are concerned with the administration of specific laws or the direction of investigations undertaken by authority of law. Office of the Chief Clerk. The Office of the Chief Clerk has general supervision over the routine matters connected with the administration of the business of the service of the bureau or |