The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1910-07-25
OUR GREATEST LOSS.
{ Climate of Lives and Produc-
tive Energy Lost yearly
Through Preventable Diseas-
State Board of Health Bulletin)

State Board of Health Bulletin)
In the United States, during
the time required for you to read
this article - three or four
minutes--ten or twelve people
will die; the next sixty minutes
will be the hour of death for IT'S
others, and to-day's sun will set
on4 00Onew-made graves, while as
many undertakers will make pre-
paration for tomorrow's repetition
of to-day's tragedy.
This means, according to the
United States Census Reports,
100000 deaths in the United
Statesevery year. 1t means, in adj
ottoman amount of sickness pro-
ductive of a loss of labor equiva-
lent to the total Interpretation
for the entire wear of 5000, 900
people. Forty-two per cent of
the 1900, 900 deaths, or 600, 900
deaths, are preventable. The
testimony of expert opinion, of
scientific facts, and of actual re-
suits to the truth of this statement
will be forthcoming in subse-
ouent press contributions from
this office.
Political economists estimate
that the productive energy vast
ed through preventable disease
amounts to a financial loss to the
United States of over S1,OOO,-
100000 annually. This is more
than enough to pay the entire
annual expenses of our National
Government; enough in one year
to both dig and fortify the Pana-
ma Canal. Preventable disease is,
therefore, a graveIpublic concern.
But, is it not a problem of ire
mendous Importance to the indi-
vidual-to you, my reader? Let
see. Divide the total loss to the
United States from this cause by
the total population Isl, 900, 900,
OOO-:- S5,O0O,000), and we find
that preventable disease taxes
the individual S11.75 per annum.
Satisfy yourself on this point.
Take ten neighboring families
estimate their expenses from
sickness from tuberculosis, ma
laria, typhoid, and hookWorm
add to this 80 per cent of the ex
penses from summer diarrheas
and so per cent of the expenses
from the contagious diseases O
childhood; add losses from death
estimated as follows: child undo
year of age, $50; child 5 year
old, $3.50; child 10 years old, 81,
900; person 20 years old, 4,OOC
80 years old, 81, 100; so years
$4,000. Then remember there ar
many losses from physically de
fective eyes, ears. threats, an
other organs which should hav
been recognized before the
damage was done. All these e,
penses compounded will make
per capita tax from ten to twel
ty times larger than the Govern
ment per capita tax of a citize
of this State.
But, it is the part of hums
nature to think of self as the e.
ception to the rule. l have
mind, as write, a family livir
on a farm where no case of
phoid has occurred in the fiji
years in which this place has be-
used as home. The head of tt
family has frequently doasted
the freedom of the place a
family from the disease. T
country isolation of this hon
the surface contour Of the va
and surroundings, the depth
the we'll and the unknown :.
currence of the disease on tt
hill might persuade one to regs
this family as an exception to
rule of one case of typhoid to
of a family; might persuade
head of such a family to feel
bit Indifferent to the typh
problem. The children are grt
ing up, like all other childr
one by one they are leaving
place of safety and coming
der the general rules which g
ern their kind. The two old
the two that have been az
from home the longest, h
both had typhoid, giving, e
IN that apparently typhoid
family, the rule more that
dues, l out Of 5, instead of
of 6.
The wise man governs his