The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-12-30
HEALTH RECORD FOR The YEAR 1906
FULLY REVIEWED BY THE STATE BOARD
Hygiene Fighting Of Epdns Dealhe
Comparative Figures Which Show Decrease in the Number
Of Resulting from Most Of the Diseases

indianapolis, December 30.-(SpD-
Hygiene, which has for its object the
prevention of disease, with the con-
sequent saving of life and promotion
of happiness, finds concrete express
sion in Boards of Health. Hygiene
is a branch of medicine, the same as
dentistry, rhinology or opthdimology-
And here is a curious fact. Whlie
every one thinks of a specialist III
! the diseases of the eye or OF the nose
| and throat as specially trained ply
sicians evenly one also thinks that any
and all physicians are hyg1enists.
That all physicians are not hysienists
| is apparent, for hygiene is a special
medical study, requiring special train
1 ing.
| If is the duty of the State Board
! of Health practically to apply the dls-
/ coyeries of hygiene This means they
shall first do all they can to forestaii
/ the coming of disease, and, OF despite
their preventive efforts an epidemic
occurs. then they are TO fight the IN
yader according to their skill and the
means furnished to them. The posi-
tion of the Health Officer is in many
WAYS curious one If he intelligently
applies the forces and methods neces-
sarv to keep away epidemics and sus-
ceeds. he receives no credit; the peo-
pie not appreciating that any tning
has been done for them. If, however,
he permits an epidemic to occur ana
then bravely fights and overcomes IL,
he is a hero. There is another phase
which should be considered, and that
lis-although all believe in the old adj
age that AN ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of cure" still, we will
not nav any more than a pittance for
prevention. but will pay literally for
cure. So it is, we expect great things
from health boards, but we Will not
pay them properly, preferring to mold
the money and afterward spend ten
times as much for cure.
Epidemics.
Tn comparing the records of 1906
with those of 1905, we find seeming
lconuection. for it is a fact that we
lhad more cases of pneumonia, typhoid
fever. diphtheria and scarlet fever,
land more local epidemics of them in
|
fewer deaths.
The figures for the deaths are:
1905. 1906
Typhoid fever 30 10
lDiphtheria 900 oo'
Scarlet fever LOO -
Pneumonia -. >. o,246 zIo-
The more cases and fewer
deaths indicated that possibly
1.-The disease were milder III
type in 1906 for some unknown rea
son, or perhaps more skillful treat
lment was given. We feel certain the
Hast was true in regard to diphther1a
Even since the discovery OF antltoxlI
the deaths from diphtheria have de
creased just in proportion as the doc
ltors took up it's use. 1t was 10 DC
expected that the majority OF doctors
would wait to see the outcome of the
Iuse of such an unusual remedy as
diphtheria antitoxin before adopting
lit: but one would think, now that i
has proven to be almost a specific
that very few physicians would refuse
its aid. However, it is true, that no
a few very conservative men-"bacl
numbers" and .slow coaches" they are
49,
antitoxin. That it is the immediate
cause of the reduction to the world
iberia death rate all over the world
as well as in Indiana, there can D'
no doubt Indeed, the State Board o
Health believes from the piles OF evl
dence collected, that If antit1X1n is al
ministered early enough the death
rate would be reduced to possibly on
per cent. 1t has already fallen from
81 to per cent The great difficult.
lies in getting to every case in IT
early stages, and before the diseas'
had made much Roadway in its Gle
structive course. Another difficult.
lies in making the diagnosis. Former
". a case of angina (Sore throat) wa
not considered to be dypther1a, unit
an ashen membrane appeared. NOV
we know that what seemingly is SIM
, | ple to sore throat due to cold, ma
be diphtheria. This fact was discoV
cred not by doctors at the bed side
, but by psychologists in the labora
tory, and is now generally acknow
, lodged. Those who don't acknowledg
it. are very slow, and the progressiv
medical men simply go on and leav
the slow to have their pleasure wit
their error. This discovery by tn
psychologists, which was made b
= finding the specific germs of the d
sease in throats which did not hav
a membrane, has wrought a revolutio
in fighting diphtheria- In conjunctio
with the discovery. many observation
have taught US, that diphtheria ep
VI denies in which children are mad