Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-12-01


world. those who died within seven years had
contributed TO the public support less than
one half, or a6 o. ger cent OF what is done 10
the best conditions of life. He also ADDS, con-
firniur what have already said, that it is esti-
mated by English observations end calculations
no notice is taken of sickness for less than
week-that for every death there are Two per
sons constantly sick; and that means, $50 days
sickness and disability for every death.
In 1870 in Massachusetts,, amongst the peo-
pie of the working age, there were "a, oo4 years
and eight months sickness, or disability; or
just so much loss of labor.
In contrast TO this sad record, let me say that
upon the whole the health service OF the
country and of the world, is certainly improv-
ing: but while this is true, it is necessary to
add that, as an entire people, we are only In
the beginning of the required work of real
civilization. The death rate in the United
States army from all causes is but nine per
thousand Of white men and twenty per thou
sand of colored troops.
The last annual report OF Surgeon General
Barnes shows that among the white troops the
total number of cases of all kinds reported on
the sick list was 37,4tS being at the rate OF l.
768 per thousand of mean strength. Among
the colored troops the total number reported
was 4,6s0, or 1854 per thousand of mean
strength. The total number of deaths from
all c4uses among the white troops was 1917, or
nine per Thousand of mean strength; and the
total deaths of colored soldiers from all causes
was forty-eight, or twenty per thousand
In my own State l record with satisfaction
that since the establishment of the State Board
of Health, as many as fifty, and at one time
sixty, local boards have been ORGANIZED in a
four cities, three hundred villages, and in all
the towns of the State The cause of this i'm
provement is due to the fact that physicians, in
many of the counties of the State. supported
by boards of supervisors, village trustees,
county, town aud district clerks, and, indeed,
by nearly all county officers, have been request
ed to cooperate with the State Board of Health
in calling attention to, and in maintaining pub
health q hnna thau
asked to respond to any and every call looking
to private work, and TO public meetings for the
consideration and discussion of measures re-
latlng to drainage, sewerage and general
cleanliness; to the ventilation of schools and
public institutions; to the supplies of pure
water; to the proximity Of wells to cesspools
and water closets; to the adulteration of food
and drugs, as affecting health, and TO all gen
eral work which seeks to secure the health of
the people. Work at home, as the best mis-
sionary field of labor, is the first improvement
needed The best work always begins there.
When, many years ago, Lord Palmerston
met his Scotch petitioners, asking for a day
OF fasting and prayer, he gave them the wise
but rather startling answer: go home, and
see that your towns and cities are freed from
those causes and sources Of contagion which,
if allowed to remain, will breed pestiIence nd
be fruitful in death, in spite OF all prayers of
united but inactive peoplel" And Rus
that "any interference which tends to
reform and protect the health of the masses
is viewed by them as unWarranted interference
with their vested right 70 inevitable disease
and death" Yet this amiable cynic induced
Octavia Hill to invest ten thousand pounds
sterling of his money ia the lowest quarter of
the city, where she might witness the trans
forming power of her worth in sanitary re-
form. And so this noble woman, aided by
Ruskins's magnificent donation of money,
proved that wealth is health, and that health
means the happine IS of the people.
In this spirit, Ralph Waldo Emerson many
WnFda in
Health, " said, in a spirit which have endeav-
ored to inculcate, ''The first wealth is health.
Sickness is poor-spirited; it must husband its
resources to live. But health answers its own
ends, and has to spare; runs over and inun-
dates the neighborhoods and creeks of other
mems necessities
Let me prescribe one other rule Of business,
and for domestic and public duty Danish from
your dwellings all possibilities of contamina-
ton from effete matter, all noxious and mias
matte gases from fecal decompositions result
ing from soil and sewer pipes. Obstrucfed
pipes send back into your closets, sinks and
basins the foulest odors, and only the freest
flow Of water can keep them clear and clean.
Ii the sources are ali pure and the road
straight and clear, there is way of escape
The head of every house and building should
be practically a he alth inspector. Open the
doors and windows of your dormitOries and
school rooms, that the air Of heaven may en-
ter therein A little care will shut out filth and
darkness, and make room for the light of hea-
ven and the vigor of health. One marked fea-
ture of our American life is the disease known
as fret and worry.
The haste and zeal Of the times causes what
is called American nervousness" which
means mental and physical arrangement, and
which, in turn, again means what has been
characterized as hypotism. hysteria, catalep
sy, somnaIhbulism, and other preternatural
and abnormal manifestations and halluclna-
tions, as seem, in part, in Guiteau's viilainous
purpose, whatever the measure of his alleged
insanity, for killing President Garfield. Some
ithaca a n no uonf-
ty and impoSture. Others are born of intern
perate lives and habits and education and pro-
duce insomnia, dyspepsia, irritable y, and
long train OF nervous diseases, or disorders,
of the times and the people.
These are the disc asses which lead the way to
asylums for the idiotic and the insane, where
it is SO hard to-
minister to the mind diseased,
Pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow;
'R7se out the written troubles of the brain;
And, with some sweet, oblivious antidote,
Cleanse the stuff'd bosom of that perilous stuff
Which weighs upon the heart"
The only Offset TO this amount of fret and
worry is a corresponding reduction of infam-
matorY diseases; and this, it is said, is almost
if not quite in proportion to the growth of
nervous irritability, and also a corresponding
increase of longevity where, as one reads, dis
eases of the many have been most apparent.
But leaving all these specific references to
life aud death, disease and cure, let me return
and close with a single reference as to the
duty of the citizen and the obligations Of the
State. condensing both in the words Of another:
DUTY is moral obligation imposed from
within; obligation is a duty imposed from
without. Duty implies a previous obliga-
ton; and an obligation involves duty.
Ny obligation is to give another man his right;
my duty is to do what is right. Hence duty is
a wider term than obligation"
DUTY and right are relative terms. IL it be
the duty of one party to do something, it's the
right of some other party to expect or exact
the doing of il.
There was one other paper to be read, but
In consequence Of the time allotted for the
morning session having expired, motion
was made to take recess until o'clock,
which was unanimously carried
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The association met promptly at p. m,
President White in the chair.
In consequence of the necessity of come
of the members leaving, the regular order
Of the business was changed.
The paper prepared by Doctor Albert G.
Gorgas, United States Navy, on 1.-THE Per-
nicious Effects of Tobacco on Youths" was
read by title.
The report of Committee on Statistics,
presented by Doctor Elisha Harris, of New
York, was read by Doctor G. N. Hewitt, Of
Minnesota.
After the reading of the report, and the
adoption OF the resolutions embraced in 1t,
the following general resolution was offered
by the association and unanimously adopt
ed:
Resolved, That the Executive Committee of
this association is hereby instructed 10 memo
rialiZe. in the name of this association, the
Congress of the United States in favor Of such
legislation as will bring about proper coop
Grafton between the General Government Of
the United States and the several State Gov
ernments for a uniform and efficient system of
the registry of the deaths, births and mar
riages of the population
The election OF members followed, and
nine we're added to the roll, including DR..
I. Grange Simmons, of Charleston.
The Treasurer, DR.. j. Berrien Lindsey, of
Tennessee, then submitted his report for
the year, which was referred to an auditing
consisting of DIR. III. B. Baker,
Of Michigan; DR.. Gustavus Devron, of Louisi-
ana; DR.. Rutherford, of Texas.
DIR. H. Isaac Jones, of Scranton, Pa, read
a paper on school hygiene.
The paper of DIR. Louis A. Falligant, OF
Savannah, on Fraternity Among Scientists"
was read by title.
The next on the programme was the read
ing by DR.. Gustavus Devron, OF New Or
leans, OF paper prepared by DR.. .. b.
White, Sanitary Director of the New
Orleans Auxiliary Association, on the subject
Of
THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC OF 1878,
which was regarded as one of the most
valuable and interesting papers presented
to the association, which is as follows
During the epidemic of yellow fever at New
Orleans in 1878 the daily papers published each
The deaths registered with the Board
Of Health during the preceding day.
The writer observed seeming preponder-
ance Of deaths Of males Of four years OF age
AS no reason suggested itself, accounting for