The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-02-22

care VI llS SAtiIcho ID bhS hASs
duty of the state" and it is
gratifying to see the states so prompt
ly wheel into line in recognition of
that advanced sentiment which re-
CARDS public sanitation as the greatest
and best gift a government can bestow
upon its people. Prevention is more
important than philosophy. The
observance of sanitary rules in some
manner by the human family is kind
of instinct from the beginning.
Moses, the great law-giver and n.y.
gienic statesman, was among the first
to formulate these laws, to enact ordi-
nances for public health in families,
making it a part of the religious dis
pensaticn, So preventive medicine
is not a new science, but neglected
one. The science of hygiene
belongs obviously to the same
class as medicine itself. Both
are prominently sciences of OBJ
servation, with much in common and
many points of contact; both make
disease their study, but in different
ways. With the physician the ques-
ton is one of cure, with the sanitarian
one of prevention. The physician
meets disease in its individuality, and
studies the good of the unit, while the
work of the sanitarian extends to
whole communities and districts, and
looks to the welfare of the mass
Since public hygiene deals with man.
kind, not one by one, but in commu-
mites, it follows that its scientific
method can be no other than the nu-
merical method, which in its applica-
ton is called "vital statistics" The
probabilities, expectations and ay-
erages of life have had their
origin through these facts. Life
insurance is an illustration of
how much such studies have
to do with important interests.
The vicissitudes of seasons, the evo-
luton and dispersion of germ
growths, and the emanations of pu-
trefactive decompositions, no man
may prevent. But their repression
and mitigation, by hygienic precau-
tions, isolation and quarantine, can
be largely accomplished by state med
icine What are termed preYentable
diseases-smallpox, scarlet fever,
measles, Group, mumps, diphtheria,
diarrhea, typhoid fever, etc.-may be
evaded by judicious sanitary care,
or they may be so mitigated
as to prove innocuous, and
their sequelae, often more disastrous
than the prior disease, be prevented.
Is there any necessity for state de-
partment of health in TeXasp Can
any good to the people of the COM
monwealth be accomplished by it? If
we take the mortality statistics Of
Austin and San Antonio, two as
healthful cities as are in the state, we
may form some estimate of the num-
Der of deaths in the state and of the
number who die from "preventable
diseases" The death rate in Austin
and San Antonio for 1SS0-1-2 is little
overtwenty per 1000 inhabitants each
year, or for 1882 the number of deaths
in both cities were near $50 in an eSti-
mated population of 10000, or 21l4
to 1000 inhabitants. About one-fourth,
or 212, died from zymotic diseases.
Estimating the inhabitants of the
state at 100000, and the death rate at
214 per thousand, we have the alarm
ing amount of 1880 deaths per an
NUN in this state from disease, or TO-
600 from "preventable diseases" Can
any one examine these facts and re-
fuse to lend aid, be he legislator or
civilian, to the proper establishment
and organization of such means as may
largely decrease the mortalityin Tex
as ? 1t is believed that the time has ar
rived when legislation looking to the
health and lives of the people will be
wisely considered and the Importance
of state medicine and state hygiene
recognized. 1t is believed the present
legislature will do itself the credit of
laying the foundation for such work
by creating and establishing a state
board of health, with such authority
as will make it efficient and useful. 1t
is by organized and systematic work.
in all the branches of political econo-
my, as well as of science, that the
greatest benefit results to the work
and to the people. Let, therefore. the
people have all the advantages the
science of sanitation and preventive
medicine can accom- plish for them,
through an efficient state board of
health.