New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-02-04
The Public Health.

MEssRs. EDrTORs My attention has
been attracted To the four columns of close figures
of mortality, which occupy your paper OF yesterday
You tell us how many people have died TINS past
year, and no many the past AZ years, In this City
You give us the names Of the diseases by which so
many have been destroyed, the whole making an ag-
| sreca,e of disease and desolation, which must
startle any who sits down calmly to reflect upon
these proofs Of certainty that We are all going grave
ward have been led to ask myself the question,
OF what value IS all this array Of figures to the com
muniy, except in moral point Of view and are not
these tables rather work of supererogaticn, even
in that respectl Every human being knows that
deah is sure, ard it neither adds 10 its certainty,
nor dim nshes the hope ofescape fomis, olearn that
Iesrly e0CCO Gied in New-York alone last year
This and This only constitutes the value Of these
tables to the ordinary reader But to the profess
sional student the instruction they convey is much
more than ths. 4 huge volume OF public hygiene
does he read there, and many valuable lesson
mis be given 80 the public on this subject BY one
properly disposed and encouraged.
As It is now, nearly all the advantages derived
froR the establishment OF the office where these
tab es are made I'd, is confined to the professional
citzer and the duties OF the office to counting the
dead and giving us the names Oi the diseases Out
not WORD is said aoou the causes Of those Diseases
nor INIT given as 10 the means OF ayoidlrs them
These LADIES show us that IL our OF - OF the
DEATHS Of last year were of persons under 81 years
Of age In This fact alone rs proof o! something
radically wrong III the habits OF life. More than
one.nfnih Of The whole number were OF c0nsump-
ton to say nothing OF m,rdsmus, atropbit and ny
cIocephalus Diseases allied 70 consumption IN
character)-a further most convincing proof OF thc
existence of some causes OF disease OF eXtraoLdi-
nary extent and Influence
But who is there To instruct the people IN ma!eLs
pertapiBg to the removal OF these fuses oil SICK
nessrot causes OF death but the causes OF diseases
which produce the deaths You Viii say II IS the
duty OF the medical profession TO throw ign, on
these dark subjects But what Is every ones pusi-
ness is no8oLy's business, and physicians generally
have too much private Occupation 10 atenn oPuD-
lie wants of this nature gratultously. mere Is an
officer however, created, as | MAINTAIN, LOT tnis
purpose but whose duties 10 this respect are "noLIy
neglected ard whose cfice In the absence o. those
duties. IS almost a sinecure | aaude to the City
Iusuector whose be I'D and pen, instead OF being en-
ploy ed merely IN keeping the records of the deaa,
should be buily occupied III unfolding 20 Ihe puoiic
the secrets OF life and health, ard the means OF
their preservation. An incumbent OF thaI ONCE,
having competent qualifications to instruct the pco-
pie in matters pertaining TO the presefysuoh Vi
health AID The avoidance OF disease, couio ionueI
a service TO his fellowcreatuTes Of hcompafso'o
value. - .-oSocas
The present incumbent. nor any Of his predeces
sors re az not be bsmesole ser the to.al mcgee. VI
this most important branch OF then ounss-ho.
hayyg the kIO Wedge their performance co1ln nov
he xpeC4ed Of the m--but they are censWdDle mnv
nut the IN there The loss which the community mas
sustained from their incompetency Is lniihense, ~"
csIculabe, and we cannot bat feel hope though
foroyn one that when period for change IN the'
office shall arrive professional ard not poiltlcalqua
ifcatious will be required OF the nomlhse' hf'SN'