Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1886-11-01
an NOEPENO6NT COUNTY
ANNAPoIIs, Md MONDAY EVENING. NovENBER l. l8s6
SANITARY SCIENCE AND LIFE-sAvINo
How the Death Rate in Europe Has Been
Reduced-Engllsh Statistics.


How the Death Rate in Europe Has Been
Reduced-English Statistics.
AT the annual dinner of the public
sanitary inspectors in London Mr.. Ed
win Chadwick presented some striking
comparisons showing how much more
the European governments expend for
the destruction than the preservation of
human life. Citing the fact that an APP
preparation intended to guard Naples
against visitation of cholera remained
unpaid because the expenditures for war
ships had created deficit in the treas
ury, Mr.. Chadwick proceeded to show
what the amount expended for one ves-
sci would effect if employed with view
to save rather than destroy human. He
said:
"The expenditure Of 81, 600, 900 at 8 per
cent, the cost of a big ship, would at
this rate be equal to the sanitation of
66, 900 houses, or at five inhabitants per
house (the suburban average with us), il
would serve for S33, 333 inhabitants.
Suppose the expenditure effected re-
duction of the death rate by only five
per 1000 (and on the average of the
towns under the separate system is in
its use nine per 1000, the saving of life
would be 1867 per annum. But to each
case of death there are at the least
twenty cases of bed-lying sickness for
each big ship. For the decade the saw
ing would be of 16,667 lives and 333, 1913
cases of sickness.
Mr.. Chadwick's estimates are well
supported by the results obtained by
sanitary science both in Europe and the
United States. Previous Co DIR. Farr's
barrack- reform in the British army the
death rate was fifteen per 1000. But it
has since been reduced below six, while
the use of sanitary precautions in the
German army has cut the rate down to
five per 1,O00, which is about half the
ratio in the civil population of the same
ages. In the Indian army the old rate
of sixty-nine has been changed to twelve
in 1000, and it is calculated that in the
last decade this represents gain of 40,-
900 in force and the saving of 100000
pounds in money. Russia is sadly be-
hind in the observance of sanitary pre-
cautions, and her army death rate is
three times that of Germany. Until
quite recently the average loss at each
visitation of cholera in st. Petersburg
was 10000, but sanitation finally re-
duced it one-fourth, although in Rus
sian towns and villages which still re-
main cesspools of filth the old death rate
is unchanged.
Army reports are held to afford the
best tests of sanitary precautions, since
in the military service regulations can
be rigidly enforced. Equally striking
results are reached in asylums and in
prisons, once the breeding places of pes
thence, but now, owning to sanitary
regulations, seats of the higher health.
In the half-time pAuper schools of
England, recruited from the lowest
classes of the community, the death
rate is claimed to be one-third that
among children of the general popula-
tion. Statistics gathered in this coun-
try tend in the same direction and go to
show that Mr. Chadwick's estimates of
the results easily reached by sanitary
science are within the mark. Comment
ing on the appropriation recently pro-
posed in pestilence- smitten Spain for
the building of war-vessels. Mr.. Chad
wick contends that If the sum were ex-
pended for sanitation it would in de-
cade save 1S3, ,335 lives and 3,6e6, O67
cases Of sickness; but such an expendi-
ture would be hooted at, although in the
last visitation of cholera Spain lost more
of her population than in the great
Peninsular war. Militarianism is a rlll-
ing principle with the European govern
Inents and they are willing to expend
vastly greater sums to destroy their
enemies than to preserve the lives of
their own people. This disposition may
be changed when it is understood that
sanitation not only proIongs the lives Of
insalids and non-combatants, but in
creases the actual fighting force of a
nation. Only in that event viii the
militant nations expend anything like
as much for life-saving as for life-de-
stroying. Chicago Tribune.