The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-04-27

tAN II liz IlI1JtO
states, where a growing appreciation
OF the value OF these sciences contends
WITH the nerve DESTROYING pace of the
strenuous lie, the average life time is
II for men and As for women AS
might be expected, the death rate is
lowest IN the Scandinavian countries.
only 13.5 to IA per 1000 of popula-
ton; and highest in India, 42.3 per
900 OF populations; with the United
States holding the relatively high po-
sition of 16.5.
Furthermore, it is shown that the
mortality rate is high in the cities, low
IN the country; high for the poor, low
tor the rich; high for the black, low
tor the white; high for laborers, low
for PROFESSIONALISM short, high
wherever conditions of life are bad,
and low wherever conditions of life
are good.
And disease as We'll as mortality is
decreasing. The CRIME plaques that
used to stalk through the medieval
cities, moving down thousands at a
stroke, are no more. Yellow fever,
which. in 1893. carried off One-tenth
of the population of Philadelphia with
III six and a half weeks, is practically
banlShed from the country. Small
poN, that used to claim a periodical
tribute of deaths reaching up into the
WIS vi Ct ~ d1ltSdll bi0-
appeared wherever vaccination has
been introduced. And every other
epidemic disease is decreasing year by
ear.
The conclusion is inevitable. If ad-
IanceS such as this have been made
by the haphaZard, unorganiZed appli-
cation of the little knowledge OF the
past, what may not be accomplished
by a widespread and systematic APP
n0ica1lnn nf tha rich and Snnn1a1juo6
knowledge of the present? Cleanli-
ness alone, says Professor Fisher
clean air. clean water, clean milk,
clean fOod-Will come near TO Wiping
out the diseases that now claim the
! greatest tribute of deaths. In terms
of money, he estimates that the United
States could save annually at least one
billion dollars now lost through deaths
that need not occur, and at least hall
q billion dollars through sickness that
could easily be prevented. And this
does not take into consideration the in
calculable sums that are now lost to
the nation through p~reventable minor
ailments and undue fatigue drain
upon national that is prob
ably several times greater than the
economic loss through acute disease
These figures represent the cOnSer-
NatiEe estimate OF a Conservative po-
litical economist. Professor Fisher
believes they might easily be several
times greater. The annual loss
through tuberculosis alone. in actual
earnings, in potential earnings cut off
by death. and in expenses OF sickness
and death, amounts in the United
States to a billion dollars annually.
| The annual cost of typhoid is estimated
at three hundred and fifty million dol
lars. and that of malaria at one. nun
dred million dollars. It is said that
T ha hanE-wOrYn disease the chJei
source OF economic waste to the South,
mulcts south Carolina annually OF
thirty million dollars.
All his can be prevented. h
has already been done proves it. The
mortality rate from tuberculosis has
been falling steadily ever since the
campaign against it vas i~naugurated.
The typhoid mortality in Munich fell
from 291 per 10000 of population.
in 1855, to 100 per 100000 of popula-
ton in 1887: a reduction of 81 per
cent obtained when the old ceSSpoOls
| were filled up and pure water was
brought to the city from q distance.
In Lawrence, Mass, the
of q water filter reduced the number
Of typhoid deaths from 1O5. IN 1872,
to % in 1895. The number of cases
of typhoid on record in Pittsburg in
| october of 1907 was 638. During the
ensuing year, the new fllterlng plant
was put into operation. The number
of cases on record in October of 1908,
was 96. And Professor Fisher says
that. with the assistance OF Mr.. Scott
| McNutt he has recently proved the
correctness of Hazen'S theOrem: that
| for every life saved from typhoid. two
or three lives are saved from other
causes. 1t is estimated that the hook
worm disease could be wiped out in
| the South forever through the eXpen-
| ditnre Of between one and tWo mllilon
dollars. It has been wiped out OF
por+o Pico at q cost of about so cents
Gov each person cured. In ten years.
ENGLAND has more tina regained the
sun spent in fifteen years on sanitary
announcements. although that expendl-