Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-12-07
VALUE OF HUMAN LIFE.
Man 10 Worth $50 at Birth and $4,000
at Twenty Years Old.

Man 10 Worth $50 at Birth and $4,000
at Twenty Years Old.
Religion teaches that man cannot
give more than his life for another.
The scientist after cold calculation
says that the gift Of life cannot be
more than a gift Of S4,100. That Ia
something for every person who loves
his own life or somebody else's to think
about The scientist adds that he
must be in his prime, 80 years old, to
be worth s4,100. The chances favor
his being worth only $4,000. for that
Is the value Of the average life in the
United States. How many would sell
themselves to death for $4,000?
Almost every one Indignantly de-
nies that he would sell himself so
cheaply. The scientist replies that in
1907, 81 per cent Of the deaths in the
United States were unnecessary at the
time. They could have been prevent
ed or postponed II the victims had
known what they might know about
the care Of their health.
These heartless facts have been CIV
en- publicity by the United States gov
eminent in pamphlet by Prof. Irv-
ing Fisher of Yale University, on Ma
tional Health" Prof Fisher has re-
duced life, death and illness to a mat
ter of dollars and cents In an effort to
prove the economic wisdom Of teach
ing the inhabitants Of the United
States how tn live long and keep well.
He bases his computation Of the
value Of the average life on table
prepared after similar tables made In
England. His table is founded on the
estimate that the average worker In
America, considering all grades, from
railroad presidents to day laborers.
earns $525 a year. His value Is then
the capital that would earn $625 q
year at prevailing interest rates, aver
ages as to length Of life and revenue
yielding actively being considered. A
youth with 40 years Of work ahead Ii
worth more than an old man near
retirement. Calculating from this.
Prof. Fisher finds baby just born Ia
worth $50. Man IL most valuable at
80, when he reaches $4,100. Then ne
declines until at so he Is only an ex-
pense and his value is placed at 500,
less than nothing.
Such is the trivial worth Of the In
dividual life, but the grand total value
Of the s5,000,000 Of us IL $260,0o0. .0o0.-
900, making the men, women and chill
dren worth more than all the other ma
tional wealth. How many Of us would
trade our individual lives for the
cash value Of the lot Of US?
But sickness and preventable death
come in and take toll approaching ev-
cry year s2.ooo,ooo.ooo. They steal
what we say we wouldn't give up for
millions. OF those who die ~ per cent
might have lived IL they had profited
by what is known about the care Of
health.
There were 100000 deaths in the
United States In 1907. OF these $780,
900 might have been prevented or
postponed, and by such postponement
$50, 900 lives worth on the average ST.
100 each, saved.
In other words, unnecessary deaths
every year cost the nation $1,000, 100000
in capitalized workers earnings. In
addition to that 100000 workers are
Ill every year, and the wages lost dur
ing their illness amounts to $500,000.-
900.
Illness and death also collect heavy
toll in the bills Of doctors, nurses, drug
gists and undertakers. The United
States commissioner Of labor finds
that the average American working
mans family spends $27 year for the
care Of death and sickness. Since there
are 100000 families in the nation,
the total cost Of doctors. druggists,
nurses, and undertakers Is $46O,000.-
900. DR.. Biggs Of New York, arguing
that tuberculosis cost the patient $50
a day, and other diseases more. places
che total cost Of the care Of illness and
death Of $1,500.000.000. three times the
figures accepted by Prof. Fisher.
Illness and death then, not including
loss of wages after death, create to-
tai annual loss in the care Of patients
and loss Of their earnings during Ill
ness Of s4sO. 900. 100000, plus $4,000
900, 900, or $3.50. Add to this the total
toll Of 81, ZOO. .O00.0 900 taken by preventa-
BILE death and the grand total national
cost in money values Of preventable
deaths and illness IL 1880, 100000.
tuberculosis costs $1,000, 100000 ev-
cry year in loss Of earnings through ILL
ness, In possible earnings stopped by
death and in the expenses Of sickness.
At least three-fourths Of these costs
are preventable. The consumptives
must bear $66O,000,000 Of them person
ally; the remaining $440,000,000 fall
upon the public.
Typhoid fever, says DR.. George
Kober, costs s50,oO0,00O year in the
United States. DR.. l. o. Howard es-
Inmates the loss from malaria at $780,
100000 and from insect diseases at
100000 900. Care Of the feeble-m
ed aid insane make a tax Of $S5,000,000
according to Charles l. Dana
DR.. George M. Gould estimates that
death and sickness altogether cost ST.
OOO, 900, 900 year in the United States.
One-third Of this Is preventable, he be-
lieves.
1.-The trouble is the public does not
believe in this waste from just poorly
and so as to be about" he argues, 1T
has no conception of the difference be-
tween working with a clear brain and
steady hand and with a dull, nervelesS
tool They must be convinced some
Louis Dispatch.
The Jews.-"If the Jews Of America
were all gathered together in COM
munity where there was no other creed
or people they could not live by their