Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-01
DO WE LIVE L0NGER2
Analysis of the Benefits of
Medical Science.
ENFORCING SANITARY RULES
Death Rate Universally Cut Down in
the Cities.
RURAL STATISTICS WANTING
Investigation of the Subject VIII
Probably Be Undertaken by the
Carnegie Institution.
ENFORCING SANITARY RULES
RURAL STATISTICS WANTING
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.


Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
A wise and bright woman asked me the
other day II there had ever been any In
vestigation to show how much modern san
ttary precautions and the advancement in
medical science had served to prolong the
period Of human existence. Within the last
generation all sorts of rules have been in
troduced to regulate diet, hygiene and
habits which affect the health; plumbing
and drainage have been improved, pure
water and filtration plants and hundred
and one other measures have been adopted
generally to prevent disease. Thu means
to prevent the spread of infectious and
contagious diseases are almost perfect:
quarantine is now recognized as legitimate:
the inspection of food and drinks. partieu-
larry milk. meats and fish, prevails In every
market in several states the smoking of
cigarettes Is prohibited and in almost all
cities it is unlawful to eject saliva in the
cars or even in the streets Other precau-
lions too numerous to mention prevail
in the home as well as in public places
while the practice of medicine and surgery
has, no doubt. advanced rapidly as any
other science. Scarcely week passes
without the publication of some book of
warning or advice for the preservation of
the health boards of health in every CITY
are given almost dictatorial powers, and in
some places the sweeping and sprin ding
OF the streets Is done with chemicals calcu-
lated to Kill the germs and microbes that
may lie In the dust.
How far have all these improvements and
precautions prevented the wastage Of hui
man life? Is the question the lady asked.
and went first to the Carnegie Institution
for the answer. DR.. Woodward, the presi-
dent, said:
President Woodward's Impressions.
On lit
without records to refer to, I should say
that the statistics show that human Life
has been prolonged at least six and per-
haps ten per cent by modern improvements
in sanitary methods and medical science.
The effect is undoubtedly greater in some
OF the states than in others and in some
countries more marked improvement will be
shown than in others. but these estimates
are based very largely upon conjecture. for
the returns are not complete or accurate
II we had some way Of obtaining the statis-
ties OF the life insurance companies we
might possibly make our estimates more
accurate than they are but it is scarcely
10 the interest of the companies to publish
the figures"
Has anybody ever undertaken a thor
ough Investigations
The census office has been very diligent
IN trying to ascertain the facts but It can
because they do not exist and the records
which are kept are not uniform which
makes comparisons difficult There ought
10 De laws In every state requiring exact
reports of births, deaths and diseases. 1t
IS more important than any other inquiry
that can be made. 1t is of vastly greater
Importance for us to know exactly how
many people are born and how MANY
people die and what they die of than to
know the amount of wheat or cotton ex
ported. Vital statistics should be more COM
pfete and accurate than commercial sta
tistics, and there should be a regular re-
turn from every county in the United
States. Unfortunately such statistics are
now limited almost entirely to municipali-
ties.
The Carnegie Institution has been con-
slder1ng an investigation of this subject for
some time and will. no doubt, undertake 1t
sooner or later, but there are several Sc
rious obstacles in the way It Is impossible
to obtain complete statistics and trained
men are scarce There is always great DIFF
ficulty In undertaking any new science be-
cause men have to be educated for 1t and
allowance has to be made for the personal
equation of the inquirers. We have to do
that In all sciences; in fact. the astronomers
invented that term