The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-01-17
THE PUBLIC HEALTH.
Estimate of What the State Board of Health
Will Save Each Year to the People.
10 the EdItor of the sentIneI:

VIII Save Each Year to the People.
To the Editor of the Sentinel:
SIR-It has been said that Governor Hen
bricks paid handsome compliment 10 his
good sense and craftsmanship by recon-
mending to the legislature the prOprety of
a state board of health. In the truth of this
| fully concur. All of this will not be suf-
ficient to convince the peoples representa-
tives that ii is their duty to legislate upon
the subject at this time, when economy de-
mands the closest scrutiny of every measure
that will make any demands upon the public
treasury. 1t requires facts to enable them
to determine upon the proper course OF &C
ton. To present some of these facts is the
only object your correspondent has IN
view in this letter. No intelligent repre-
sentative will hesitate moment to vote for
this law when he understands what vast
good is TO result therefrom 10 bis 'constltu-
ents. But he wants 10 know how it is TO be
accomplished. In the states where such
boards of health are organized, the death
rate has been lowered from two to four per
cent. by their watchfulness over every
health destroying influence or agency, such
as defective sewerage, drainage, ponds OF
stagnant water, cess pools, water dams, i'm
proper ventilation, poisoned water supplies,
sales of poiSons, unwholesome meats,
slaughter houses and unhealthy pursuits,
etc restrained or counteracted. The lngress
and spread of epedemics have been watched
and in many cases checked. Where
all deaths are reported with the
cause thereof, it is at once determined
by the board of health whether or not there
is an increase of mortality in the city, town
or section When so determined the cause
is investigated, and removed if possible.
This is done by men we'll posted in sanitary
science and hygiene. In this manner cpl
Sf ~l,,Ns1 horv fr
infected water supplies by sewer pipes
leaking into wells or drainage into springs.
In this way the disease has been promptly
checked, and many human lives saved as
well as untold suffering, and great expense
saved the people. There is no other way of
reaching this result than through this or
ganizatiOn. If the death rate has been les
sened in other states it can in this,
for the same cause under the same
circumstances produce the same ef-
feet. Then let us examine the
amount of life suffering and money this
board will save our state. and then we can
determine whether or not ii Will be profit
able investment of the small amount that it
will cost the state.
Take for the calculation the population of
the state in 1860, which was $50, 42S The
number of deaths per thousand is about IA
each year This would give us 1890 deaths
each year in the stat. Every death will
average p days Sickness or the number of
days sickness is about % for each death,
making total number of days sickness in
the state each year 472, 500. The lowest cost
of each days sickness can not be less than
81. This will not cover medicine,
doctor bill, nursing, etc, but
let US make all estimates lower than
the truth that we may not be accused OF
over estimating the importance of this
measure, for we have no more interest in its
organization than any other citizen. So let
US set the cost of each days sickness at two
dollars; the cost for the entire sickness of
the state at this estimate will amount to
$945, 900 each year. This need not startle any
one, for il is much below the real cost of
each years sickness, but it will do to illus
trate our statement. Now, if we only save
two per cent. of this it will save the state
each year on this estimate SIS, 900 annually.
Putting the loss in the development of our
resources in the various departments of in
dustry as the result of this sickness,
loss of wages, etc, at the same amount
we find the cost amounts TO $37, 800. This is
truthful statement and careful estimate of
the savings of a state board of health each
year, based upon the population of 1850. In
Massachusetts, the death rate is about Is for
each thousand, and the number of days
sickness is about 100 for each death. Ac-
cOrding TO that estimate the savings of
Il
reach one million each year, and do not
doubt but that will be very fair estimate
of the amount saved for the people of In
diana by this board when it becomes fully
and efficiently organized. In looking
| over some private statistics of my
| own, / find that in the year 1876
239 deaths have been reported in newspapers
and medical periodicals. resulting from the
sale of poisons under the unrestricted sys-
tenn now practiced by the drug trade and
| from the improper use made of polsons.
These accidents can be prevented measure
bly,, il not entirely by proper restrictions.
, Here are some of the many truths that can
be brought forward to prove the utility of a
board of health: if it costs the state $l8, 900
each year. land il will not cost half that,
the saving to the state will be at least SIC, 00C
each year. This is all we have time to say at
this time and hope it will not be necessary
to say more. We hope this great necessity
| will receive the early and earnest considers
ton of the present legislature. Let those
who wish to examine this question more
| fully examine the statutes Of the. sever
states having state boards and their yearly
reports. State medicine is new science
but it is doing inestimable good, and is en-
gaging the best minds of the age.
Indiana can not afford to be behind the
progress of the age. J. w. HERvEY.
JANUARY, IL, 1877
1 LII - =.