The Washington herald., 1910-09-25
GOOD HEALTH IS
A VALUABLE ASSET
Insurance Man Gives Some
Interesting Figures.
URGES HYGIENIC PROPAGANDA
Prof. Irwin Fisher, of Yale, AdvO-
Gates National Health Board, San
itary Legislation, and District Eff
forts Toward Checking Prevent
able Disease and Death.

| Health has been designated as a great
/ blessing TO the man or woman who pos
sesses IL, and municipalities States. and
/ Federal governments have given much
attention 20 studying the causes OF Ill
/ ness. and have inaugurated means TO
/ forestal preventable maladies which
might attack the people OF the commu-
nifty
! These efforts have been Inspired large
/ " by purely humanitarian purposes. TO
protect the population from the evils OF
/ illness and possibly death. A healthy
community is the normal condition, and
/ such a community is the better fitted 10
/ perform its duties as individuals. and is
the happier and more prosperous there
/ for
1 It has been left for the life insurance
/ companies 10 emphasize the fact that
good health is a commercial asset. These
/ companies have reached the obvious con-
clusion that physical well-beIng has a
money value Of no small proportions.
ADA
In a public address delivered last week
before the International Association OF
Accident Underwriters. AZ Breton Woods,
" H. Prof Irving Fisher OF Yale Uni
versity. set forth the suggestion that in
surance companies should exercise direct
efforts 10 educate policyholders toward
correct living, as a means Of maintaining
good health and of uniting with the gov
ernmental authorities toward the estab-
lshment OF health bureaus, Inspection,
and necessary agencies 20 prevent illness
in the community. This was put upon
the ground that illness OF policyholders.
when preventable. is a menace 10 the
profits OF the insurance companies.
Prof. Fisher advocated the appointment
of committees TO watch the proceedings
Of legislatures with view 10 having
proper health laws placed on the statute
books. and he urged that one or more
representatives OF the accident companies
should attend hearings in Washington be-
fore the committees in Congress on all
matters pertaining 10 public health. and
/ specially 10 work toward the end OF es-
! tablishing a national health bureau 70
/ study the causes Of Illness 10 disseminate
/ among the people Of the nation informa-
/ ton relative to the care OF the health and
/ its maintenance.
Would Watch Legislation.
Prof. Fisher went further and suggest
/ ed that the interna tional association
should inaugurate a campaign Of educa-
ton among policyholders by correspond
enee, and by the frequent publication and
distribution OF literature giving plain
instructions upon the care OF the health
Prof Fisher figured 1t out that big saw
ing 10 the companies in the way Of sick
benefits could be saved by intelligent
efforts toward telling pohcyholders how
10 keep well.
Prof. Fisher estimates on the basis Of
vitality tables used by all insurance
companies that the average money value
Of the insurable man is 81 700 It actually
costs the insurance companies this much
In the way Of paid policies. Prof. Fisher
says the number Of preventable deaths is
annually $4,000 and that the insurance
| companies pay every year the enormous
aggregate of about Sl.0O0O00,O00, a large
portion OF which might be saved II
every community and every household
was on Il sanitary basis. Prof Fisher
says that this sum represents the poten-
tial savings, possibly through preaching
and enforcing the gospel OF health.
Waste OF III Health.
From another viewpoint Prof Fisher
set forth some startling facts
There are always" he said. 5000. 600
persons in the United States on the sick
list OF whom about 100000 are in the
working period of life, and about three
quarters are actually workers and must
lose at least S7o0. which makes the aggre-
gate loss from illness more than $4,000
600. Adding to this another $500. 600 900 as
the expense of medicines. medical attend
anee, special foods, &c. We find the total
cost OF illness TO be about 81, OO0. COG, 900 per
year. OF which il is assumed that at least
one-half is preventable Adding the pre-
ventable loss from death. $1,000. 000,OOO,
to the preventable loss from Illness, $780,
100000. we find one and a half billions as
the very lowest at which we can esti-
mate the preventable loss from disease
and death in this country. The true
figures may well amount to several times
this figure.
Prof Fisher presented strong hrgu-
ment 10 show that this loss 10 the coun-
try through illness and preventable death
was worth saving. He pointed out the
duty of the insurance companies to fight
for the health of the community as a
means Of increasing its own revenues.
and the duty OF good citizens everywhere
TO fight against i'll health. because of
its great economic waste. and It's evil
effects upon the prosperity and we'll
being Of the municipality, the State, and
the nation.