The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-11-02

the diseases Of infancy. having the
nedian age one year.. AZ per cent may
be prevented; and that of the diseases
of childhood having 'median age two
prevented.
1T does not seem unreasonable"
DR.. Wilbur states. when We consider
the fact that there is apparently no
reason why infants, II properly born.
and this means simply the prevention
OF ante-natal disease and the improve
ment OF the health and conditions of
life of their parents, should die at
all In early infancy or childhood. ex-
cept from the comparatively small
proportion Of accidents that are
strictly unavoidable"
The bulletin continues with a state
ment that the general death rate of a
country Is largely dependent upon its
infant mortality, because the death
rates Of infants and, young children
are high and they affect relatively
numerous element Of the population.
Exact study Of the Incidence of dis
ease upon infancy and childhood is
most important, and Il is imperatively
necessary that there should be more
effective registration of births
throughout the United States for this
purpose. The extremely important
rate known as infant mortality" is
the ratio of deaths Of infants under
one year of age, not to population but
to the number of children born alive
during the year. This; most important
ratio should be readily available for
the comparative study of deaths of
lnfants In all of our states and cities,
but. the bulletin states, in the great
majority o. them, unfortunately, the
registration of births is worthless
and ratios calculated upon the re-
turns would be deceptive and unre-
liable. -
Possible Prevention.
THE possibility Of great saving of
human life during infancy and early
childhood is emphasized by the esti-
mates made by Professor Irving Fish
er, on the basis of independent medi-
Cal opinions, for his report on nation
al vitality to the national conserva-
ton commission, as to the ratio of
preventability, that IL, ratio of pre-
ventable' deaths from cause named
to all deaths from cause named for
certain diseases of early life.
/ "Out of every 100 deaths that occur
from each disease in which the medi-
an age at death is under five years,
there could be prevented the following
numbers: Premature birth, forty;
congenital debility, forty; veneral dis
eases. seventy; diarhoea and enter
tits. the most important cause of in
fant mortality, sixty; measles, forty;
acute bronchitis. thirty: bronchopneu-
monia, fifty; whooping cough, forty;
Group seventy-five, meningitis, sew
enty: diseases of 1arynx other than
laryngttis. forty; laryngitis, forty tliph-
iberia. seventy; scarlet fever, fifty.
Other diseases essnially fatal to
infants and children, would perhaps
show equally great ratios of pre-
ventability; they do not appear in the
ABOVE list because their median ages
are above the limit chosen or because.
as Is the case with 'convulsions;' they
are grouped with other and incongru-
GUS causes.
THE possible saving of life for
general. ill-defined and unknown
causes, including heart failure,
'dropsy. and 'convulsions,' median age
80 years. is 80 per cent. The median
age of 'convulsions' alone is less than
one year, and 1t is probable that at
least the ratio of preventabllity of
diarrhoea and enteritis (6O per cent?
would apply to it. The term is an
indefinite one. being expressive mere
ly OF the symptoms attending the true
cause OF death; nevertheless no fewer
than $3.50 deaths were compiled there
from for 1908, although, in compila-
tion, any other definite cause is pre-
ferred. The term is no longer en-
ployed by well-informed physicians in
reporting causes of death, and 1t is
possible. by inquiry made by the local
registrar Immediately after the re-
ceipt of this and other unsatisfactory
statements. to practically eliminate
them from the returns, as has lately
been done for Chicago.
I'm the light of the figures quoted
above it would seem that practical
sanitation has only made beginning
In the work Of preventing the oc-
SSeA ShS0 Vi AuIdHC duu Clllu mortar.
ity. The ground has only been scratch
ed over. Deep stirring of the soil and
thorough cultivation of all the means
available. with our present scientific
and medical knowledge for the guard
ing of young human lives would pro-
duce startling, and from all past hui
man experience almost unbelievable,
results. Public health. as a function
OF government, is itself only crea-
tion of the middle part Of the last
century, dating from the utilization
of the knowledge available as a re-
suit Of the operation of the English
laws for the registration Of vital sta
tfstics $3.50. Even in England, how
ever. no systematic efforts have been
made until very recent years to util-
lie to their utmost possibilities the
facts already known. The infant NOR
tally of England was higher for the
years 1896 to 1900 than for the years
1861 to 1865. and no marked reduc-
tion In the early rates occurs until the
present decade.
1T is time that greater attention be