Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-10-10
FISHER ON TUBERCULOSIS.
We'll Known Political Economist to
 prenhnA CxhaustiYA HAn0rt.


 Washington. Oct 10.-Prof Irving Fisher, the eminent political econom-
 list of Yale university, who in one Of his papers before the recent Interna- tional Tuberculosis congress in Wash lington declared that consumption costs the people of the United States
 more than a billion dollars a year, is preparing an exhaustive report for the National Conservative commission which will contain not only these figures but similar data on the eco homie loss to the country from all other preventable diseases
 Prof Fisher is a member of the National Conservation commission and for many years has been carrying on studies along these lines. The commission received letters from phy- sicians all over the country urging 1t to consider the bearing of public health on the economic eflciency of
 the nation in it's efforts to ascertain the resources of the country.
 The commission from the beginning has contemplated reports on the eco homie aspects of several phases of the conservation movement which affect the duration and effectiveness of hu- man life, but Prof Fisher has under taken to prepare comprehensive statement of the whole subject of the
 relations of public health to the gen. eral field of conservation, and espe-
 cially as to the waste from prevent able diseases and unnecessary deaths. Dr Fisher is professor of political economy at Yale university and chair
 man of the Committee of One Hun
 dred" of the American Association for
 the advancement of Science, which
 has for long time been carrying on
 propaganda for the increase of na- Itional health through the elimination
 of preventable diseases. This con-
 mittee of one hundred is composed of
 physicians and men engaged in act
 i've sociological work in every part of
 the country, and the results of their
 Investigations and experience are all available to Dr Fisher, so that his
 report ought to be the most thorough
 going and complete summary of the situation ever made.
 At the tuberculosis congress, Prof
 Fisher declared that 130,000 persons
 die of consumption every year. The cost of medical attendance and the
 loss of earnings before death average
 at least l$2,400, he said, while if to
 this is added the money that might have been earned with health, the total loss in each case Is about $8,-
 900. He pointed out, also, that the disease usually attacks young men and women just at the time when they are beginning to earn money and cuts of their earning power for about three years on an average, be-
 fore they die.
 This subject of the economic value to the country of general raising of the average health came up in the governors conference at the white
 house in May. Dr George M Kober in his speech on the Conservation of Life and Health by Improved Water Supply at the conference presented figures which showed that the de- crease in the vital assets" of the country through typhoid fever in 8 single year is more than $350,000,- 900. Typhoid is spread by polluted
 water largely so the death rate from this disease can be directly reduced | by the publication of city drinking
 water. Dr Kober quoted statistics to show that the increased value of the water to the city of Albany, where the typhoid fever rate was reduced from 104 in 10000 to 26 by an efl- cient filtration plant, amounts to $475,0 900 a year, of which $350. .000 may be considered real increase to the vital assets of the city. Census bureau figures show that the average annual death rate from typhoid in cities with contaminated water sup.
 plies was reduced from s0.4 per 100.- 900 to .19.S by the substitution of pure supplies.
 Dr Kober cited estimates showing that the average length of human life In the sixteenth century was be- tween IS and 20 years, and that at the close of the eighteenth century IL
 was little more than 30. while to- day 1t is between 3s and 40--indeed, the span of life since 1880 has been Heightened about six years.