Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1910-04-01

Does Il Pay.
Naturally the people are interested
to learn precisely how the large sv-ns
the state is investing annually IN svoA
health is being spent; what are its
dividends, as measured in the actual
saving Of human lives? 1s Pennsyl-
vania a richer, q more healthy com
monwealth now than It was four years
agog Is the average citizen less like
ly to acquire a mortal disease-less
likely to die II he does acquire oneI
In exchange for its generous sppro-
priations Pennsylvania has received.
first of all, a considerable reduction in
It's death rate. Not so many people
die here now as died in 1906. the year
when the new department began its
organised work. The citizens OF
Pennsylvania, especially its little chill
dren. stand a better chance than they
formerly did Of reaching mature life
and a green old age. Mortality sta
tistics do not commonly furnish ex-
citing reading, but. when considered
from this point Of view. they make
an emphatic personal appeal Thus.
In 1905 and 1907, the death rate in
Pennsylvania per thousand Of popula-
ton was 1876; in 1908. It had dropped
to 1b.7, and in 1909 to 1873. At first
glance this may not seem a remark
able diminution, but in a state with a
population Of more than 1000, 900 even
a fractional decrease is a substantial
gain. This appears when one figures
precisely what this slight numerical
drop means In the actual saving Of
human lives. Had the death rate Of
1906 and 1907 prevailed in 1908. pre-
cisely 6519 more people would have
died than actually succumbed. Had
this same rate applied in 1909, instead
of the decreased percentage recorded
by the Bureau Of Health. just 1888
men, women and, children now living
and presumably in good health and
spirits, would have rendered their
hnal tribute to nature. In other
words these matter of fact statistics
when interpreted in their real rela.
ton to the welfare and happiness OF
the state, mean the saving to the state
OF 13.907 lives.
Human Lives as State Assets.
This fact has an immense personal
mesning for all people Of the state
among these rescued lives might have
been your own. your wife's. youi
child's; but they also have a value
which is measurable In dollars ant
cents. The political economists nov
recognize that the most valuable kin(
Of wealth is the human life-that hu
man labor is worth at least five timei
that OF all other forms of capital
Even the newly landed immigrant, &C
cording TO these investigators, has |
per capita value of ss75; that is, h,
adds Just that much to the nation
capital. Professor Irving Fisher, o
Yale. one of the foremost American
economists. has painstakingly figure,
the financial value to the state o
every citizen at particular ages.
newborn infant, says Professor Fish
er. is actually worth $50. while fivs
year-old child Is worth $3.50. Fror
this point on his value rapidly II
creases; at ten, could he be sold a
auction, his market value would be a
least $1,000; at twenty It would
$4,000, and at thirty. $41o0. From thi
point the average human being begin
to lose value, in proportion to his d.
creasing productivity. until at fift,
Professor Fisher gives him a value {
only 800. This same authority place
? TIM -aar4h pe.SAiAsA ,Ag~SRe4v vAseu lndtIil
rate In Pennsylvania for the last tw
years represents a money saving {
s23,641. 300. The state, in other word
Is just that much richer-has lust this
much more available capital For II
actual expenditure to date of $4,000
600. including a large portion for pc
manent improvements, II has taken |
more than S23.000.0 900. The earning
Of the new Department Of Health, col
stdered purely from the commercif
standpoint, thus represent dividend
OF more than 7e6 per cent in fou
years.
What is the value placed by the a,
craze citizen upon his children's live
NOT the financial value estimated b
the Unconditional economist, but tn
worth II affection, good citizenshi
and In all that holds the social organ
Eation together? Is 1t good busines
policy to save the lives of children a
" apiecef Is It paternalistic and s,
cialisttc to protect them against dar
gercus Infections at the rate of 81 ne
headf That is what the state of Penn
sylN anis is doing now. This consery,
tive old commonwealth has reache
that stage Of paternalism where III
government will not sit quietly b
and watch a little child choke to deaf
with diphtheria when the expenditur
OF few dollars from the public trea,
ury will relieve its sufferings and saw
its life.
Saving the Little Ones.
For the last ten years the practIca
remedy for diphtheria has been avail
able for the children Of prosperou
households, but it has not been ayaI
able for the poor Since Won Behring'
immortal discovery that the bloc
serum Of horse which has recoyere
from diphtheria possessed wonderfu
curative properties, and when Intro
dnced into the human organism. wouI,
usually destroy the disease, this 10,
mer scourge OF childhood has los
nearly all its terrors. In the old day
diphtheria DESTROYED nearly onahn1