The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-03-17
WEDNESDAY, MARCH II, 1873.
Sanltary Facts Tor lhe People,


sanitary Facts for the People.
We ure indebted to DR.. JepsOn, our city
Health Officer, for copy Of the reports
and papers read before the American
Public Health Association at its meet
iugs in New York in 1873, These re-
ports and papers make ayOlune Of 5OS
duodccimo pages, and have been prGpuF-
ed and published with much taste and
care by Hurd 6 HOughton, New York.
Among these papers is one from DR.. Jcp-
son, on Cholera in Wheeling in 1879, q
paper that.we noticed at length when it
FIRST came out in pamphlet form several
months ago. Among other interesting sub
iocs discussed in this volume are HUI
man Lougcvity--the Relations Of Race
and Nationality to Mortality iR,the Uni
ted States, The Longevity Of Brain
Workers, and the Relative Influence Of
City and Country life on morality, health,
fecundity and longevity. Under the first
head is discussed the relative mortality Of
children and adults. OF tho children
born into the world vast percentage
never sec the anniversary Of their birth.
Another large percentage die under five
years. Few, comparatively, reach the
age Of ten. Attwcnty the generation has
dwindlcd to an Insignificant minority, and
at thirty.three to forty.fve itdisappcars
altogether. Observation teaches us that
longevity varies greatly, not only among
animals Of different species, but also
among animals Of tho same species, The
more numerous and complex are the or-
gains Of any animal, the more it differs
from an inferior animal, Hence II Is
thought high development shows capacity
for longevity. Applying this test TO man,we
find his capacity for longevity exceeds all
other animals. This tendency We see ca
tabliShed in the fact that tho average ofhu.
man lie Is gradually frightening in civil.
lized communities. We have seen II stated
that in many European capitals 1t has
extended from thirty.threC to foTty-Ive
years within period Of 200 years. Ma.
Cauluy states that in the year 1865, one
twenty.third Of tho people Of LONDON
died, but, when he wrote, the mortality
was reduced to onc-fortieth annually.
Here was reduction Of nearly fifty per
cent In the annual mortality Of u single
city, within period Of two hundred
years. We arc apt to credit the medical
profession with this increased longevity
asa proof Of tho successful methods Of
treating disease. But there arc abundant
evidences that this increased expectation
Of life has other and more important OK"
plantations.
The question, what is the normal longc'
witty Of man? is very important ono.
Growth being completed in man Mt 10
would prove that his normal length OF
life was 90 to 100. This is the length Of
life to which every man has nm inherent
right, and every death at an age short Of
that period Is due to unnatural or nbnor-
NAL conditions. Let ~ turn from this
sidC.of the picture and look at mans nc
tual length Of life We note, in the first
place, the total mortality Of the entire
population in 1870 was 400, 1858. OF these
llO,Al5 died under one year Of age. That
Is, somewhat less than one.fourth Of all
who died had not seen their first birth
day. Two hundred and three thousand
two hundred and thirteen died under five
years, being a little leSs than one.lalf Of
the total mortality. II will surprise no
one to learn that II over Al per cent. Of
the deaths In this country are children
under five years Of agc, not far from 60
per cent. Of the deaths arc persons under
Is years Of nge. Sixty in every 100 per.
sons dying in this country have scarcely
attained mntutiLy-have lived but about
one.fourth their allotted time. II we
turn TO the pages Of tho census re-
turns We will there sec recorded
tho diseases which cause this immense
mortality. For instance: OF general dis.
cases, 10; Of the circulatory organs, 8; Of
the digestive systeni, Is; Of the rcspiruto-
ry organs, s; Of the genito, urinary or.
gans, IL; Of the limbs, A. Of tho skin, 3.
Of injuries, "a. And yet We find man has
as little power to prevent this rs he has
to control his own habits, We have no
doubt the prominent fcason for this is
that all grades Of society, and even tho
learned professions, arc ignorant of or
Indifferent to that species Of knowledge
which protects md defends life. That
which Ia most essential We study least.
Under the head Of the Relations Of Race
and Nationality to Mortality, we find the
tables Of statistics give the number Of
deaths In each to each 1OOOliying persons,
"a follows. Native white, 1870; native col
ored, 1885, total native, 1870; total foreign,
lis; Irish, 14.0; Germans, II; English
and Welsh, 114t swedes, Norwegiuns and
Danes, 90; Scotch, 1876; French, n. The
figures in the table seem 10 establish be-
You'd controversy the great fatality
among the foreign population of tirigtFs
disease Of the kidneys, the somewhat
greater liability Of this element Of the
population to death from cancers, pleuri-
~ and npopleXy, and on tho other
hand the comparative immunity from
paralysis and rheumatism a great many
interesting discussions have been held
relative to the superiority Of brain work
Cs. Thomas Hughes, in his life of AL.
fred the Great" makes statement that
'thc worlds hardest workers and nublest
bcnefnriors have ratriy lpen lont lived