The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-08-07
WASTE OF HEALTH
PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY
THROW AWAY MILLIONS,
Criminal Negligence Of Health Robs
the Nation of Much of Its Wealth
and Producing Power.

That the, people of this country
are annually throwing away a sum
of money that represents fifty per
cent more than it costs to operate
the government-in cold figures a
billion and a half-is statistically
shown in Professor Irving Fishers
new work issued by the Government
Printing ONCE, and entitled "a Re
port on National Vitality.",.
Professor Fisher is member of
the faculty OF Yale University, and
= member of the National Conserva-
1ion Commission appointed, by Theo-
-dore Roosevelt He -is-is-also a-men-
ber of the. Committee Of One Hun
Sred on National Health. During
the last ten years the 'Professorohas
been engaged in collecting" the" ma
terial that forms this important
work, and which is now for the first
time madeSpublic. =.
In the connection of national
waste. in lives Professor Fisher shows
that there are three million persons
ueedlessly and continuously i'll IN
the United States, and that this con-
dition might well be prevented by
strict attention to even the simplest
hygenic measures. He shows, Also
that tuberculosis alone Is RESPONSE
BILE for; 100000 persons continually
ILL., and that it is entirely possible
that this scourge be wiped out with
in one generation.
Typhoid alone costs the country
$3.50, 100000, and this is disease
that can wholly be wiped out by at
tention to neglected details. In. sup
port of this statement, and showing
what can be done in an individual
instance, the author cites the case
Of the city Of Lawrence, Mass.
which, by the introduction OF a new
water supply, reducted this typhoid
mortality by over eighty per cent.
It is shown by carefully gathered
data that malaria costs the country
10O.000,000, and that this is who'll
ly preventable, as instanced by the
action of several cities that under
took with successful issue, the elim-
ination Of the malaria mosquito. :
Professor Fisher shows that our
present wasted policy is easily rem
ediable and cites Professor T.. s..
Lambart, who, in his Source Of
Longevity stated .'That it costs
no more to raise a man. capable Of
living for eighty years than 1t. does
to grow one who has not the capacity
of living to be forty years old"
The subject Of eugenics, or mar
Tiage selection is also discussed. at
length, and instances OF the bene-
fcial effects of the operation Of the
law in Indiana are startlingly shown,
1t being stated that by this law no
fewer than 500 persons who were
shown to be incurable of confirmed
degenerate tendencies had been
sterilized.
In support Of the efficacy of this
law, the author takes up the history
OF two famous criminal families, the
"Jukes" and "The House Of Ish-
mael." and shows that the former,
out of 1900 descendants in seventy
i've years, furnished 557 criminals
who spent an aggregate Of $500
years in jails and poorhouses:
Professor Fisher says: "The gain
or lengthening and strengthening of
the life which it measures can be
secured through medical investiga-
ton and practice. restriction >of the
labor Of women and children, the
education Of both public and private
hygienic. and our municipal state
and national health service"