The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-10-12

L u
the necessity for this at the outset has
caused much of the delay, cost hun
dreds of lives and millions Of dollars. |
Two years ago last month / was in Gu |
ba with representatives from most of
the other states because we feared that |
yellow fever was about to beak into |
this country. and we wanted to make |
a close study of the methods which |
had proven so effectual there. We de- |
cided that New Orleans was the weak |
point in our line of defenses and, as a
result of our deliberations, DR.. Konke. |
the great health officer of that city. |
returned home with ordinances already
drawn and. backed by the profession of
his city and state, went before his
council and begged FOR authority to
drain the cutters, to screen the els
terms, and to make it impossible for
the disease to gain a foOthold. They
laughed him out of the council cham
Der. and when pestilence came four
months later these same people insist
ed upon disgracing this devoted man,
and had the national government
taken charge Of an epidemic which
would never have occurred but for
them. Thus, in all of the affairs of
this great nation, civil and military,
about which our profession alone has
a knowledge, now and always, those
who have the special training have no
authority, and those who have the au
thority have no training. and today ex-
cept in the emergency of an epidemic,
the health service of this country, lis
as idle as a painted ship upon a paint
ed ocean,"
Bad Record for Nation.
Now this is bad record for us as
nation, but that for your own state is
even worse. One-third of the people
sick in this state last year, and every
year, and one-third of those you took
to your cemeteries, We're sick and died
Of diseases which your medical pro-
fession could and would have prevent
ed if they could have had the intelli-
gent cooperation of your people. You
had in that year 4,456 deaths from
| consumption, which means that you
have about 10000 cases of this disease
in your state constantly. The COM
mon impression is that this is an in
herited malady, but this is an error.
No matter what your mother and faith
er died of you can no more have con-
sumption except by getting into your
body the germs from a previous case
than you can raise corn or wheat on
one Of your rich farms without seed.
If all the expectorated matter and the
other infectious discharges from every
case of this disease now in your state
could be collected and destroyed until
they recover or die, there need never
be another case within your borders
unless it be an imported one. You had
1928 deaths from the diseases of child
rem caused by using dirty, adulterated
or spoiled milk, out Of $4,000 cases.
We often speak of the slaughter Of the
innocents by Herod, but he was a no.
! vice in the business as compared with
our modern cities. You shudder with
horror over the loss of life on the Lar
chmount and in the New York Central
wrecked few months ago, and prop
!
ly every week in your state during the
hot season than there were people
killed in both Of these disasters, and
it goes on almost without comment.
And 1t would be cheaper for you to
inspect the diaries, or sterilize the
milk. and save these babies than 1t
would to bury them. You had 44s
deaths from diptheria and scarlet few.
er out of 10000 cases, all distinctly
preventable. You had SAC deaths from
typhoid fever during the year. This
means, according to the best estimate
that you have about 10000 cases OF
this disease during each year Ty
pho1d fever is typical filthy disease
No one can have it except by getting
into their mouth and stomach some OF
the discharges from bowels or kidneys
of some one who has it. This is not
nice thing to think about. But nice
people ought to think about it and
stop doing it. In cities it often comes
from the use Of infected water, as in
the epidemic now at Scranton. less
frequently in the milk. sometimes on
the hands, cooking utensils or food
In small towns and country districts
typhoid fever is usually carried by the
ordinary house fly, as it was at Chica
manga and the other military camps
during the war with Spain. In short
during this one year. you had 1O.71s
deaths from preventable diseases
Now state has no more valuable as
| set than that represented in it:
healthy population. According to thu
Z political economists, to say nothing O
, the cost of caring for the sick wht
recovered from these diseases. this re
presents a distinct loss to your peopl,
, each year of over $10,0OO,000.
Legislator Is Obtuse.
Your profession has tried for YEAR
to secure the legislation which woult
? prevent these diseases, but the aver
a age legislator honestly believed tina
o thy sought it for their own benefit
not stopping to consider that in 81
far as doctors prevent sickness the.
diminish their own income. In fac
, 1t has often seemed to me that w
have been misunderstood largely be
cause the work is so purely altruistiC