The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-31
There never was a bad man that had /.
4 0' " 49, Burke.
Health and Progress.

cmy OF Music last night q large NUM-
Der OF her most prominent men and Wo-
men to hear lecture from professor
sedgewick, OF Boston, on sanitation and
hygiene. Professor Sedgewick Is an elo-
cutIonist as we'll ns /. rclentlst, and his
lecture was notable for It's choice Eng
llsh and manner Of delivery, as well as
for It's Instructive fcnturcs. The city IS
under obligation to him for the public
service he has rendered. and is Indebted
to Dr. Ennion williams for bringing him
here. KS 3s
The census shows That for tho decade
between 1850 and 1890 the popu!atio OF
Richmond increased more thnn twenty
six per cent, while from 1890, to 1900 the
increase was less than five per cent. Il1e
statistics show also that Richmond's death
rate is higher than TINT of other cities OF
the same class and sltua ton, and that
there is an abnormnlly large percentage
Of deaths from fever and tuberculosis.
Professor sedgewick politely suggested
that there was a possible rela ton be-
tween our low rate OF increase In popu-
lation and our high rate OF mortality.
There were other causes for 1aichmond's
slow rate of growth between 1890 and
1900, which a. stranger cannot under
stand. but 1t was due In part, no doubt,
to the cause which lie suggested. lie
demonstrated that disease not only pre-
maturely destroys the people, and In that
way prevents a normal growth IN popu-
lation, but that 1t retards progress and
thereby dlscournges an influx of popula-
ton from without.
Above everything else In his able dis
course stood out tho salient fact that
typhoid fever and tuberculosis are abso-
lutely prcventable. The cases of Lowell,
Lawrence Wolch, Cornell and Springfield
all gave terrible confirmation to Pro
lessor Sedgwick s statement that typhoid
fever and darrlloea diseases generally
resulted directly from taking these germs
into The stomach. In most of the cases
given, water was the medium which con-
veyed the germs, but In the case Of
Springfield, twenty-five deaths and one
hundred and twenty-five illnesses We're
directly traceable to Impure milk. An
extraordinary array of statistics was
tainly the death rate could be lowered
by taking perfectly obvious precautions.
The day is past when incompetent Off
cals can lay upon "thc inscrutnhe de-
crees OF Providence the burden and
odium ghich belongs to negligence and
IT ~ hos NJ
demic nowadays. with all that such
visitation entails of loss. Of wealth and
health and life. 1t Is In praoticallysevery
case dcmonstrahly the fault OF the water
or health departments. Lawrence, Mass,
reduced It's death rate in 1893 to lower
average than that OF 1888, though the
population greatly increased, by installing
a modern filtration plant. And the reduce
ton In deaths meant direct Increase In
population and wealth.
Again, Boston began testing nll milk
last June to determine the number OF
bacteria per cubic centimeter At that
time 80 per cent. Of the samples showed
over 10000 bacteria to the cubic cent?
meter In February. however, S7A per
cent. of the samples tested showed less
than 10000 bacteria for like quantity.
That reduction meant healthfu milk
3 supply, and In time lower death ratio
among tho children and invalids. who
are tho chief users of milk. This extra
ordinary and almost revolutionary reduc-
ton OF the dirt and bacteria which nrc
wcll-nigh universally found in milk. was
not accomplished without cost. AS Pro-
fessor Sedgwick well said: 1T costs
money to keep clean" but the people Of
Boston found that It paid In health and
comfort to buy clean milk. and so for
once, at least, the consumer paid the
cost without complaint. One dairy alone
raised It's price from eight to twenty cents
Der quart. and Is unable to supply tho
demand. For Boston. and, we hope for
Richmond. the day has past when men
will nay 81 quart for champagne and
eight cents a quart for milk. Clean milk
can be obtained. and II is the imperative
duty of city governments to see that tho
only milk offered for sale IS pure
So can pure water be had, and we are
making fair progress tOWaTuS obtaining
. much improved water supply,
All of these good things. however, cost,
and the cost must be met. Experts must
be put in charge and properly paid for
their work. POKER ana authority to make
and enforce proper regulations must be
given tho health department and those
(. regulations must be carried out, Under
L J
such administration of our health de-
partrnen, the present smallpox conditions
in this city either could not or would not
be allowed to exist.
Ina word, Richmond must provide the
men and the means for the SCIENTIFIC
study and prevention Of disease, Then
snd then only. Will we be free from the