Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-07-02
TO FIGHT DISEASE.
School of Preventive Medicine
Plan of Columbia University.
MANY DYING UNNECESSARILY
Dr.. Ditman, Urging Establishment of
Sanitary Science School, Declares
United States Loses $60o,ooo,ooo
Yearly by PreventabIe Deaths.

Sanitary Science School, Declares
United States Loses 100000, 900
Yearly by Preventabe Deaths.
Pasteur has said that "it is within
the power of man to make all infec-
tious diseases to disappear from the
world" and statisticians estimate that
100000 of every 100000 deaths occur
in spite of the fact that they are pre-
ventable. But every year sees some
advance in the science of preventive
medicine. One scene of work in that
direction Is Columbia university, in
New York city. Plans for u school of
tary science and public health, are
printed in the June supplement of the
Columbia Quarterly. DR.. Ditman has
developed the plans, and there are
hopes that the money will be forth
coming to establish the school.
"One-third of the human beings born
alive die before the age of FIVE years
has been attained largely from pre-
ventable causes" says DR.. Ditman.
"The death rate of children in some
tenement house districts in New York
is as high as 204 per 1000. The num-
Der of deaths occurring in the world
from epidemics of plague, smallpox,
yellow fever and cholera is still enor-
nous in spite of the fact that methods
for prevention of these diseases are
known"
Dr. Ditman continues:
Each year the world yields up 1,O95.0OO-
our own country 100.0lO-of it's inhabitants
as a sacrifice to tuberculosis, although
this loss is not necessary. Pneumonia
kills 10000 people in the United States
annually, ana the number is increasing
rapidly. yet the cause of this disease is
known, and II should be in our power TO
stamp II out.
Twenty-Five thousand people in the
United States who are ncedlessly blind
could have had their vision saved had the
causes of blindness and methods for its
prevention been widely enough appreci-
ated. Five hundred thousand people are
killed or crippled every year in this coun-
try as n result of preventable accidents.
While the annual loss to this country
from preventable deaths is sGO0O00.0OO an
nualy, England by the employment of
preventive measures during nine years
of an expenditure of $97s. 10000. By a re-
duction of its death rate during the past
twenty-five years the city of New York
has saved $3.50 10000
New York city's annual loss from tu-
berculosis is s29, 900. that of the United
States $500 ,000-a wholly needless loss.
The annual cost to the state of New
York for the maintenance of public in
stitutions for the pauper, the insane,
the blind the epileptic and the tubercular
is sll500.O00. From an economic point Of
view, then. 1t is seen that rarely can in
vestment be made more proftably than
through action by which sickness, power
ty, accident and crime are obviated.
The last decade has been marked in this
country by two notable efforts conceived
for the determination of the cause of
physical and social evils, by the establish
ment of the Sage foundation and the
Rockefeller institute. Both institutions
are Of fundamental and extreme impor-
tance and necessary for the next great
advance in the field of preventlon-edu-
cation.
In order. then, to complete the efiicieu-
* Of both Institutions in the accomplish.
ment of practical ends it - essential that
means shall be found to transmit the
knowledge thus acquired regarding tho
causative factors of disease. crime. pow
erty. etc, to the ultimate desired goal
individuals. homes and administrative de-
partments having jurisdiction over these
fields.
The scope of a school of sanitary sci
ence and preventive medicine is a broad
one. The complete attainment of its ends
can only be accomplished by enlisting the
aid of all associated fields OF effort. For
this reason the benefits to be derived
from influence of teacher on pupil, physi
clan on patient charity worker on de-
pendent, woman on social conditions and
legislator on legal enforcement can best
be attained by amalgamation Of the pro-
posed school with such an institution as
Columbia university, by which means arc
made available for it's use the school OF
law, the school of philanthropy, Barnard
college. the Teachers college and the
College Of Physicians and Surgeons, with
its numerous clinic and hospital conncc-
tons. The situation of these departments
In the heart of city of the type of New
York would also operate effectively In
providing opportunity for the study OF
social and industrial conditions.
Among the subjects of study sue
geSted for the school are tenement
houses. sweatshops, slaughterhouseS
dairies, markets and watersheds, of.
fensive trades and dangerous occupa.
tions, child labor and factories, anti
toxins, vaccines, filtration and disn.
fectiOn methods.
Dr. Ditman also advises teaching o!
the relations between varieties of food
and disease, utilization of sewage for
commercial purposes, methods of gar
bage disposal. modes of transmission
of contagious diseases. epidemics and
modern conditions of life in general.