The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1908-03-07
HOW TO KEEP WELL.
Some Helpful Hints from the Health
Department.
WHY7

Isn't it true" asked a friend who
has been reading these health talks,
that consumption is on the decrease
in the United States?"
Yes" answered.
'Then why all this fuss and agita-
ton about the awful ravages of dis
ease that you admit is decreasing"
The question was superficial and
did not at all touch the real or vital
part Of the matter; but it set me to
studying and thinking and with the re-
suit that 1 want to put the gist of my
answer in this weeks talk.
1t is true that for the past two
decades there has been a general de-
crease in the consumption death rate,
and this reduction is due to the i'm
proved living conditions of the mas
ses.
For example: more people are bet
ter housed; fewer are living in cellars
or in dark, damp, ill-lighted easements
that are no better than cellars. There
is a wider diffusion of knowledge on
sanitary matters and, as a conse-
quence, an increased appreciation of
the value of sunshine and fresh air,
Then, too, there has been a marked
improvement in the building laws reg
ulating the construction of tenements
in all the large cities of the country.
There has also been a lessening of
the evils of over-crowding in tene-
ments, workshops and factories. In.
temperance is on the decrease. The
babies of the land are better taken
care of, as rule, than they were ten
and twenty years ago. They are more
properly fed and clothed. This is true
also of the adult population. Wages
have been increased and hours of Ia
Dor have been shortened. Fewer chill
dren are employed in mills, mines and
factories.
These, it may be safely asserted,
are the causes which have contrib
uted to decrease the death rate from
consumption in the United States
from Is per 10000 to 19 per 10000 for
1900, a decrease of "a per cent.
But think how much more might
have been accomplished had the real
fight against the spread of consump-
ton been started in 1890. The de-
decrease noted was simply the result
Of general conditions, favorable to hu-
man life and comfort. Yet, in spite
Of this decline of "a per cent in the
consumption death rate for the pc
Rod named, this disease still claims
10000 victims each year. And, worst
Of all, this enormous army Of human
beings is swept out of existence at
an average age of thirty-ive years.
This statement alone, we think, an
sWers the question. When a disease
that is preventable claims one out of
every seven persons that die in Him
oils, it is certainly high tire some
thing was being done to end so need
less sacrifice Of human life. High
time that some fuss was being made
about the matter-don't you think so?
The house is the granary Of the
consumption germ. Were it not for
the house this germ, says a noted au-
thority, would soon perish from the
face Of the earth. It could not be pre-
served. Sunlight, fresh air and water
are its natural enemies. The first two
soon destroy It, But in the house and
where air and sunlight are not per-
mitted to do their work, tubereular
matter win remain vital for q long
time. This was shown in the story
Of the Ink Pot" that We told about
last week.
So see to it that both these natural
agencies are given q chance In your
home and youH have better health
and more money.7'P."