The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-18

The advances and discoveries in med
ical science have shown that most OF
the diseases from which humanity suf-
fers are avoidable or prevsntabie. In
the old times even to those who did
not look on any disease as . direct
visitation OF God. ana therefore not to
be escaped. there were number of
ailments that medical men were not
able to understand. They did not know
their origin, or how to prevent them.
and their efforts to cure were like
striking in the dark at an Invisible foe.
Modern research. intelligent investi-
cation and enlightened experimental
tion have brought about wonderful
changes. Now the medical men under
stand. or are fast beginning to under
stand, the origin Of most diseases and
how they can be prevented or elimi-
mated. Yellow fever furnishes case
in point. Only comparatively short
time ago. It was not known how this
complaint spread. or how 1t could be
avoided or stopped. Now they know
what carries 1t, and II has been amply
proven that 1t can be practically
stamped out and kept out by intelli.
gent effort. Even the dreaded plague
10 beginning to be understood and 1t is
believed that 1t can also be controlled.
Typh old is another dread disease which
can largely be controlled and prevent
ed. but in some places IL is allowed TO
constantly prevail with all it's dread
consequences. The cost in money and
human suffering in one city is thus
portrayed by The Hartford Times:
An inquiry into the money loss due
to typhoid fever has been made in
Pittsburg, which always has the fe-
na as ssas great n ,sS4 Tn. q stSed
followed was to make studies Of indi-
vidual cases. all people IN moderate
circumstances. OF which 1914 were ex-
ssnas from BEING msn out o a'1 work was Ds
certatned, the time Of the illness, the
loss by other members of the family
In caring for them. the cost of doctors
anu uuTSSbs QTukBa iCEs tnl1A. anu GIL
such articles bought because OF the
exfstenee Of the disease. In short all
items properly chargeabls to existence
Of the case. These things made q to-
a. % same s''T ratio io' Of fevss existed
throughout the city as In the two
wards in which inQuIrs was made. the
loss would be s7os.24s = year.
TENTS suffered after efecfs Of consid-
cradle Importance and ia . number Of
cases permanent disability exists.
These losses are not counted In the
Now 1verybody knows that typhoid
Is q preventable disease. II IL now
costs Pittsburg people over S700. 900 q
year, what work Of prevention IL too
Improvement OF water supply, any reg
ulatian of the milk supply, any other
known means Of preventing typh old,
that IL would not be good economy for
insurance against greater loss. and II
would also mean saving many valuable
lives.
Now. in the present state OF scientinc
research and of advanced medical
knowledge such a condition as exists
I'm Pittsburg Is nothing less than Grim
inai. That city has long been noted
for the foulness OF les water supply.
which is saturated with almost every
form Of impurity known TO man. The
newspapers have been calling attention
to It unceaaingiy but with iittie APP
parent eject. The peopie are COM
PEELED IN drink water which is literally
loaded with the germs of disease and
death. and nothing Is done 70 remedy
the evil. The milk supply Is also q
constant source of danger from the
fact that the cows drink the foul water
and the germs thus absorbed pass into
tho milk and then Into humanity. and
especially to the babies who swallow
death ana are helpless. Reading the
statement above given and remember
ing what ID now known about typhoid,
its source and prevention, we repeat
that in this respect Pittsburg seems to
be an organized criminal.