The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-09-30
BY NEWARK
man |MPRESSES
PLAGUE CONGRESS
Frederick L. Hoffman Tells How
tuberculosis Is Spread
by Dust.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3O.-The sa-
wants from all parts of the world here
for the white Plague Congress- are
impressed greatly with the paper read
by Frederick L.. Hoffman, of Newark,
n. J..
Mr.. Hoffman is the statistician of the
Prudential Insurance Company of
America, and his address was Illus
trated by a series of beautifully exc
cuted diagrams derived from the indus
trial mortality experience of the Pru-
Dental.
As n Labor Question.
Mr.. Hoffman emphasized the degree
of tuberculosis. frequency in dusty
trades and laid much stress upon the
necessary differentiation of fbroid
phthisis as an Industrial disease. He
presented a new occupation classified
ton by kind OF lust exposure, grouping
the different employments considered In
detail into such as expose to the con-
tinuous inhalation of metallic dust,
mineral dust, vegetable fiber dust, ami
NAL and mixed fiber dust, general or
eanic dust, and municipal OF street
Gust.
Some thirty specific occupations were
considered in detail. including practi-
cally all of the more important indus
tries and trades. In conclusion the
speaker dwe,t Upon the problem OF
tuberculosis prevention as a labor ques'
ton, bringing out in startling contrast
the needless waste OF life In American
industry. Summarizing his remarks
Mr.. Hoffman said:
could Save $4,000 Yearly.
at is not going too far to advance
1t as a fundamental principle of SAM
tary Legislation, that the consumption
death rate anon male wage earners
can lie reduced, by intelligent methods
to at most is per 1000. If such a re
duction should result, here would bt
an annual saving of $4,000 human lives
Since the average age q death OF per
sons dying from consumption Is 3I.'
years for all occupations, and probabl,
not much more than 81 years for mel
employed in strictly dusty trades, I'M
since the normal average age at dealt
in the mortality from all causes Is b.
years, there would be an expected gail
of at least 1874 years of life for ever,
person whose death from consumption
was avoided by rational conditions @
industrial life.
"Such a gain would represent a tota
of 444, $50 years of additional lifetime
and by lust so much the industrial
efficiency of the American nation woult
be increased. If we place the economi'
value or net result of a years lifetime
at only $500. the total economic gain t
the nation would be $1,000 for ever:
avoidable death of a wage-earner r
consumption, representing the enor
nous total, of sSs, s5O, 400 as the aggre
gate annual financial value in the prob
able saving in years of human life
At todayss session formal announce
ment was made of the incubation of
number of children. all charity patient
at the Children's Hospital here, wit
bacilli of tuberculosis. human an
bovine ard with a culture of Koch
tuberculin, designed to prove the accu
racy of the diagnostic methods ad
vanced by Or. q. Laszios Detre, c
Budapest. Hungary, and the diagnose
theories of DR.. Clemens Won Pirguet, @
Vienna.
DIR. Won Pirquet made demonstration
today for the benefit of the delegate:
1t was stated at the hospital that tn
children had responded satisfactorily I
the treatment. 81.
Experiments with Children.
Great interest centered around tn
work iii which DR.. Robert Koch par
ticipated. His address. on the relation
OF human and hovine tuberculosis wa
perhaps the most notable of the da,
This joint session brought togethe
probably the largest group of ,medics
men.
DR.. Koch followed DR.. Biggs, VIII
spoke on THE Administrative Contrs
of tuberculosis in New York City," an
who is an old pupil of the famous Ger
man scientist. DIR. Koch expressed HI
belief that the successful execution
the measures described by DR.. Bige
represented one of the most importar
features of the war against tubercu
losis. He expressed his admiration
DIR. Biggs's work in New York citl
especially in view of the extraordinar
difieulties which confront the healt
board in the matter Of immigration