The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-07-31 00:00:00

HEALTH AND DISEASE.

_
The following letter of Miss Nightingale to the Evil
of Shaftesbury was read before the recent Statistical Con-
gress, ad was received with much interest:—" 30, Old
Burlington-street, July •AL Sly Lonl,—Panlon me for
suggestiog to you, first, that there must be a large
amount of statistical inforuiation, bearing on the pre-
vention of disease, in possession of the governments of
different countries ; and, second, that it would be of the
great importance at the next meeting of this Congress,
if each delegate would include, in any report to be pre-
senteil, any marked examples of alumna of mortality
and disease, together with the saving of cost consequent
on the carrving on sanitary improvements in towns, in
dwellings of the.labouring classes. in schools, in hospitals,
and in armies. As for exaniple, it is stated to be a fact
demonstrated by statistics, that in improved dwellings
the mortality has fallen in certain cases from 15 and 24
toll per 1,000; and that in common lodging-houses,
which have la_wn hotbeds of epidemics, such diseases
have almost disappeared as heads of statistics, through
tLe adoption of sanitary measures. As no one bas been
more instruniental than your Lordship in bringing
about these happy results, so no one is
better acquainted than yourself with these
facts. It is also st.sted that in the British army large
bodies of men, living under certain improved sanitary
conditions, have presented a death-rate about one-third
only of what the ariny has suffered in past years.
Would not your Lordship consider it of great impor-
tance that the statistics of these and similar cases should
he carefully collected and presented for comparison with
the statistics of ordinary mortality? Again, it is stated
that in our colonial schools for aborigines, we have in
many instances exposed the children to the risk of scro-
fula and consumption while Christimiizing them.
Might not this be avoided by sanitary arrangements ?
Again, to take a different case, from the experience of
schools. It is stated as statistically true of some indus-
trial :and half-time schools for orphans and destitute
children, that whereas formerly two-thirds of the
pupils became eacriticas to vice and crime (as, indeed, is
stated to be still the case in some instances), the failures
on account of misconduct among the pupils have been
reduced to less than two per cent. Might it not be
well to consider whether these statistical results do
not exemplify what may be done by application
of like mean.? I am encouraged to make
them suggestions by the following words from
the statesman Guisot Valuable reports, full of facto
and sound views, drawn up by cm aaaaaa ttees, inspectors,
rectors, and prefects, remain unknown to the public.
The Government ought to charge itself with the
knowledge of, and the expansion of, all good systems,
with the encouragement of all favouring efforts, and
with attempts to improve them, according to our pre-
sent habits and institutions. One channel alone em-
braces sufficient action and power to secure this salutary
influence ; that channel is the press.' If facts already
existing regarding the points I have inentioued above
were carefully abstracted and made accessible to the
public through the 1111.441111 of the Congress, there can-
not be • doubt of the great benefits which would accrue
to science and humanity. Anil if, au it is the cost
which frightens couniunities from executing the works
necessary to carry out sanitary improvements, it could
be shown that tile cost of criuie, disease, and caress of
mortality is actually greater, it would remove one of
the most legitimate objections in the minds of Govern-
ments and uations against such ineasures.—l have the
honour to be, my Lord, your Lordship's faithful servant,
FL.suisicgNIUHTINGALE.—The Earl of Shaftesbury."