Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-09-28

year. This means. according to the
best estimate, that you have about 700
cases of this disease during each year.
Typhoid fever Is typical filthy dis
ease; no one can have it except by
getting into their mouth and stomach
some Of the discharges from the how
els 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 step doing it In cities 1t often
comes from the use of Injected 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 usua w carried by the
ordinary house Az. as it was at Chica-
manga and The other military camps
during the war with Spain. In short,
during this one year, you rad 1850
deaths from preventable diseases. Now
a state has no worse valuable asset
than that represented in its healthy
population. According to the political
economists, to say nothing Of the cost
of caring for the sick who recovered
from these diseases, this represents
distinct loss to your people each
year of $2.750,000. -
Your profession has tried for years
to secure the legislation which would
prevent these diseases, but the aver
age legislator honestly believed that
they sought it for their own benefit.
not stopping to consider that in so
far as doctors prevent sickness they
diminish their own income. In fact.
it has oftened seemed to me that we
have been misunderstood largely be-
cause the work is so purely altruist'c,
1t is not remembered to their credit
that they do more real Christian char
ity every day and every year than all
of the other people put together. Over
third of your people never paid a
doctors bill in their lives, and never
intend to, and yet no one of them ever
suffers from the want of atten ion,
either city. town or country districts.
All other citizens may profit by invea-
ton, but if a docter makes a 1iscOv-
cry he is forced BIZ his VOWS to give
humani the benefit Of it without
price In spite of al this, doctors are
misunderstood. because away back in
the dim past our forbears spoke kind
~ about each other The clergy ana
all of the other segregated cailings
did the same thing and have been for
gwen, but it is still he'd against Us
The legal profession is the only one
which has always been harmonious.
This is solely due to the fact that law.
yers live in the aggregate and work in
constant elbow touch with each other,
but it has been great benefit to
both them and the people. Had we
been equally wise and united always
hea tn and medical boards would have
been as much a part of the warp ana
wool of our government as the courts
are. They ought to have been. They
are more Important, JUS in proportion
as health and life are more important,
than mere property interests. A great
central health depar ment at Washing
ton with a representative in the cab
met. and al of the facilities Tor con-
tinuous scientific research it is Just as
important as the supreme court of the
United States. great as is the need of
tribunal A state board of health,
with its members so supported that
they can devote their entire time to
their du les. is just as important in
this state as vour appellate court. A
board of health in every city and coun-
ty, with an effective corps of officers
and inspectors devoting their entire
time to their duties, in the schools
daily. at the dairies and abatoirs, SUI
pervising every possible source of dis
ease and danger to YOUR peop'e, with
well equipped laboratories. are indis-
pensib'e in the light of present knowl-
edge and are constantly becoming
more so in the growing complex prob
lens incident to the rapid growth or
urban popu alton And /, will pay to
do these things. for he greatest tax
upon the people of your state today is
not that paid into the city county and
state treasury, but is that expended
for unnecessary sickness and for fun
erals, which ought Iot to occur.