The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-04-15
SOME NEn ROOKN.
Premature Death aud II. Prevention.

Premature Death and Its Prevention.
The series of Health Primers whose publl- |
cation has been begun bv the Appletons exhib-
It's in It's list Of editors and contributors somc
of the most distinguished names in the medi-
cal profession OF Grrai Britain. There is no
doubt, considerable difference In tho volumes
heretofore published ms regards intrinsic inter
est Of thcme or attraciivcn'ss OF treatment
But all present in II compact form "A good deal
~ authentic and useful information. Among
the numbers which have seemed 10 Us pnriicu-
larry timely or we'll executed may be mentioned
the treatise on Alcohol" that on Exercise
and Training" and that on Personal Appear
ancc." 1t is not these. however. but the mono
graph on Premature Deah it, Promotion or
Prevention. TO which we would Mt present direct
attention This is preiaccd with what would
seem some remarkable statistics forming what
may be- called the pulmonary arithmetic Of
early dissolution. II appears that OF the TWEEN.
ty-nve millions composing the population Of
England and Wales. hall million die on the
average every year. OF which total however
hut onc-tcnth consists Of persons who have
reached the fun term Of life. Nne-tenths.
therefore. represent lives cut short before the
expiration OF their natural term. and since
nearly one-hnlf Of this fraction includes
those who perish within the first i've years 81
life we have left about sixty per cent. or 266.-
600 whose deaths are distributed pretty equally
over the period between childhood and old age.
The foundation of preventive medicine. or rs
1t is termed in its more familiar aspect. SANTA
~ science. rests on our knowledge OF tho causes
OF this excessive amount Of premature extinc-
ton. Of tho conditions under which these causes
operate and OF the extent 10 which they are
ayoidahle.
In England. the foremost place among the
agencies Of early decay is held by diseases Of
the lungs. including the malady known in popu-
lar language as consumption. More than one
fourth of tho whole number OF premature
deaths arc referred to this class Of disorders
Next In order Of predominance. being credited
with sixth Of the mortality. belong the infec-
tious mnladios. including typhus. scnret and
enteric ieveis. while the third place Is assigned
10 diseases Of the brain and nervous system
IL is tho data connected with the first two
classes at which we propose TO glance. From
tho nge of fifteen to ltty-nve, phthss or con-
sumption maintains tho first rank among tho
causes 81 death. and during tho latter half Of
this period II large influence upon mortality is
eXerted by other diseases Of tho lungs Tho
common condition determining diseases Of tho
lungs seems TO be the sudden alterations Of
temperature 10 which persons are lahle from
exposure to weather. This might be supposed
to act pretty equally, but there are numerous
nr,iicially created circumstances which pre-
dispose 30 the operation OF the common deter
mining condition. such are found to exist in
the irresularly heated or ventilated dwellings
Of the well-,o-do classes. and attend almost all
the indoor occupations II youth and manhood.
All those industries which compel the aborcr
to work in artncaly created atmosphcres. ana
especially the conditions under which the
] mi fDilg "a pnrfinularv q, ar
lung disoHse. In metal work cutlery. md pot
tory. the Initiative dust from the processes in
volvcd becomes n special and dangerous source
Of the same mAlady. But. in addition to foul
air and the presence Of irritating matter in the
atmosphere it is now known that dNmpness Of
| soil is most important cause Of phthisis TO the
population living on II.
or an infectious Diseases scarlet fever is in
| England the most fatal to life. Indeed this
malady used to be called the English pcstilencc
| On the average 1t kills yearly about q 900 per-
| sons, chiefly children not exceeding ten years
| Of age; but the distribution Of the mortality
caused by it is marked by great irrcgulnrity.
| There nro localities, for instance. in which. for
period OF years, no deaths occur from scarlet
/ fever. and from which it is known that the dis
ease has been wholly absent On tho other
hand there are places where the fatal effects II
this disorder form one OF the most regular fea-
lures Of the mortality returns II appears that
the chief regions Of excessive suffering from
scarlet fever are London Tyne-side towns, and
the mining and manufacturing districts In
these localities, known rs the scarlet frycr ncids
Of tho kingdom. the disease is continuously
present and from thence spreads at intervals
over the whole country. Strange TO say the
special conditions which determine the proya-
lence Of scarlet fever in the places named have
not yet been made the subject Of detailed inves-
tigntion. SO far however. as the general causes
OF the disease are known, hint, arr given fol
their correction and avoidance and soma use
iul suggestions tending 10 the prevention OF
lung diseases are likewise found in this vol
ume, although this part Of the subject is less
completely treated than might be expected from
the preface.