New Orleans Republican., 1875-11-19
The Cost of a Erent Epidemic.

DR.. Benjamin Lee, of Philadelphia, read
remarkable paper at the late meeting Of
the National Public. Health Association in
Baltimore, On Penny Wisdom and Pound
Folly, or the Cost of a Great Epidemic to a
Great City," OF which the following is an
abstract
The object of this paper is TO furnish an
approximate determination of the loss sus
tained by the city Of Philadelphia, in dol
lars and cents in consequence of the pres
ence of smallpox in the winter of lS7I-2,
and, placing side by eide with this the de-
gree in which this loss might have been
prevented BY iudlciOus sanitary legislation,
rigidly enforced, to convey to the public
mind conviction of the immense economy
OF generous outlay for the prevention of
disease, and hearty cooperation in all
measures designed to promote this object
The calculations of the paper are pretaced
by bIiet review of the Iuode in which an
epidemic was managed in the interests of
trade, contrasting with it the vigorous
action of the Board of Health of New York
IN the matter of the Washington Market
nuisance. The paper then shows that for
the years l87l-2 the sum of S56 i6i 81 was
spent over and above ordinary expenses in
consequence of the epidemic. The loss by
d mlnu lion OF travel and traffic is shown
by refeleace to the reports and est
mates of The various railroads aud CITY
passenger railways. One city passenger
railway estimates that in the four winter
months it carried ll2,272 persons less than
1t would have done by reason of smallpox
The diminution of travel on passenger
railways was eight per cent, of inc 1ming
travel on railroads six per cent and of ont
gong freight four per cent. The estimated
loss to railroad companies, Sl9,509, 9,l49,
Delng the revenue tor six months. was four
and half per cent, or S877, ,9ll so, of
which one-tenth, or $@,79l Is, is assigned
to the city directly. The loss to the hotel
keepers for 6l3l2 days, at So a day, was
Sls39 936. The loss TO the retail dealers Of
81 3i2 customers, at s. head, was
The loss to merchants and manufacturers
is thus estimated The production of the
city in 1870 was $335 000, 900; for the six
months ia lS7l-72, estimated, 1892, CPS ,00O
Deduct locomotives. ships, and iron and
g!asswares, $50; deduct portion con.
sumed at home, say fifteen per cent
amounting to SIS ,s93, $50, and We have lett |
SllS,S65,25O as the outgoing freight, subject
to dlmlnution of four per cent in conse- |
quence of the panic throughout the coun- |
Try. This amounts to S4,75I,0 The total |
loss by diminished travel and traffic is thus |
shown to be S., ,429, l49 Is.
The loss by sickness is thus computed: |
Assumed rate of mortality is one in four
and half. The actual number of deaths
was 446l. The board of health estimate
OF number of cases was $4,000. The aver
age duration Of fatal cases in the Municipal
Hospital was IL days; average duration Of
conyalescent cases, 26 days: total number
of days of hospital cure, SO, 400, at an ex-
pense Of $4,000 for food and medicine, or
40 cents per day; results of London hos
piials, 58 cents per day; estimated cost for
all classes throughout the city, so cents per
day. The total number of days lost
throughout the city was 4O7,75S; cost,
S203,S
The loss by diminished production was.
Days labor lost by II, 800 producers actual.
iy sick, 420, 862; by care-takers. 2S3,S4S; TO-
tai days Lost, 704,7l0. DR.. K. Brunddell
Carer, OF London, places a weeks wages
at Il; nearly VI day; report of the State
Board OF Health of Massachusetts, 81 %;
of Philadelphia, 1870, 81 So; DIR. A. G. Field.
Of Iowa, 50; rate assumed in this paper, 81 SO
for adults and fifty cents for youths. Hence
the value of productive labor lost was for
adults, Sl,057 ,065; for youths, $4,000, a
total loss by disability Of $l,072 065. Mr.,
Wells estimates the individual at sixteen
years of age to represent an investment by
society, without interest, of more than $500,
and at eighteen years, allowing interest, of
el50O. fidle from this time on to the limit
Of his expectations, he will cost the com.
munity $4,000. Allowing less than one-half
the number of deaths to represent the dis |
abled, we then have $4,000, 900 represent.
ing the l0es on this account.
The loss by death is based on the value
OF a human life in dollars and cents. The
able bodied negro was valued at from $1,000
to 1880 in gold; estimate of life to-day,
adult, $4,000; from ten to twenty years,
$1,000; from birth to ten years, $500. The
number of deaths between twenty and
sixty-five years was 1914, which, at $4,000,
makes &3 288 GOO. from fan fo twantu vaar, |
$40, which at $1,000, makes $50, 600; birth
and ten years, 2ll0 at $500 each, 81, ,055, 900; |
total, $5, ,0l3 900; funerals at $50 per head,
,72l, ~, ,420. III
Expenses Incurred in care of sick, 8203 go |
Loss by sick ness ttime). I072065
-oss BY disability 1t me and expenses). 10000 900
soss py denth... ..................... 5,013,O00
Expense Of premature burials. ,,....,,,, "a 42O