Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1895-11-29
SAVING IN SANITATION.
financial Loss TO Communities From Sick
ness and Death.

financial Loss TO Communities From Sick
ness aud Death.
This is hard, practical age that de-
mands money value for every progress
i've step, and efforts to improve sani.
tary conditions are too often retarded
by this mercenary claim. As argu.
ments sanitarians present some re.
markable statistics, showing financial
loss, individually and as a whole, to
communities when IN epidemic pre-.
walls. A number of very interesting
tables and diagrams have been com.
piled by Mr.. g. E. Willetts, of Mich
igan, showing mortality from general
and specific causes covering a period OF
two hundred and fifty years His
search Of the records of England has
been very thorough, resulting prirci-
pally in estimates of London and En-
glish counties.
From tables simply arranged with
heavy black columns varying in length
according to the percentage of mortal
ity, it is shown that in London from
1860 to 1879 the rate of mortality from
fevers alone was s75 per 100, 900 persons.
In 1888 it was but II, more than so
times less The reduction shows great.
est between 1901 and 1910, after which
it remains about stationary through
lS41 10 1871, showing slight change to
1883. Similar progress Is indicated for
consumption, but greater for small
pox. The latter disease killed 503 per-
sons in every 100000 just previous to
| Jenner's discovery, in l7s0. In 1885
there were only deaths from. small.
pox to 100000 A remarka BILE decrease
is indicated also for all general causes.
In 1879 the rate stands at SO dea this for
every 1000 inhabitants, and diminishcs
to 1874 in 1883 in London.
The greatest progress has been made,
OF course, since sanitation became a
science, and increasing advancement
is shown when people have learned
that the adoption of it's measures saves
money. In most states the maximum
value of mans life is put at SIS, 600,
and the minimum 81, 900 for damages.
William Farr, in his cold calculations
of mortality and loss, estimated the
life of an English farm laborer at
200 and a woman's about $500 less.
These figures are too low for Ameri-
can labor, and decidedly low for large
portion of the middle class For illus
tration, however, the conservative fig
ure $1,000 is generally used. This
amount multiplied by the death rate
of a given place gives the approximate
loss to that community. This does
not include loss from sickness, which
some statisticians estimate on basis
of ten or twelve cases to every death.
In small towns, where sanitary
measures have not been generally
adopted, and a proper sewerage sys-
tenn is unknown, barring epidemics,
the number of deaths yearly has gen.
orally averaged four to seven per
10000 population. Taking the money
value of each life at 81, 900, the amount
of loss TO the town is obvious
Pettcnkoffer calculated after years
of accounting that every German sol
dier lost per cent. of his time by sick
ness. Ii this is true of well fed,
equipped and watered soldiers, we
must expect larger rate in cities like
New York, where conditions are ir
many places detrimental to health and
the stress of life weakens physical
stamina. 1t is proved beyond question
by carefully kept records that proper
sanitation relieves the discomfort oil
the poorer classes, reduces pauperism
prevents famine and increases capac
ity for labor production. 1t is esti
mated that in London 100000 lives ART
saved annually by modern sanitation
Proceeding with the calculation tina
there are ten cases of sickness to every
|, death, and that the individual cost i
not less than 81 day for subsistence
and medicine, for maximum periot
of ten days, and the amount saved fig
ures Sc, AGO. 900. Going further, and es
timating the annual earnings of tn,
lives saved at $500 each, and S72, 900, O0
accrues, which, after cost of keeping
the individuals is subtracted, leaves 9
large saving. Hard and practical a
these statistics appear, they prove be
yond question that sanitary science
yet in its infancy, is pecuniary benef
to community and undoubtedly vii
achieve even more remarkable result
in the future. IN. Y. Times.