The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-12-12
FORMER HANCOCK man TALKS
ON SURVIVAL OF UNFITTfST

1.-THE Survival of the Unfittest" was
the novel title of a most interesting
and instructive address by DIR. John
Jackola last Friday at the December
meeting OF the outlook club says the
Duluth News Tribune.
The speaker first took up the fund
amental biological laws, which, af-
feet men as well as other animals
and plants. One of the most impress
sive of these laws was the one COM
monty spoken of as the survival of
the fittest," but he also called atten-
ton to the law of mutual aid as found
among certain of the social insects and
animals, but becoming most import
ant in man. In early times this was not
as applicable as at present, the Spar
tans being cited as exposing infants
to the weather that only the most har-
dy might survive. From this situation
great change has come, DIR. Jackola
pointed out so that at present we try
to save every class of persons imagin-
able, including even the weak and
feeble minded persons, insane persons
and up, or down, to incubator babies.
The standard Of value of human life
he held was greater than ever before,
but to get the proper valuation wei
should estimate the same way as other
things. Each individual at birth is in
debt to society, which debt increases
until he reaches the productive period
of life, and the value of life must be
determined on the basis of product
iveness and the accomplishments dur
ing the productive period. That indi-
vidual must be regarded the fittest,
he held, from the standpoint of polit-
L lsr OIL
with the balance sheet most in his ia
vor and that individual the unfittest,
who makes no attempt at all in repay
| ing his debt to society.
He further showed that 25 per cent
of the mortality in the large cities oc-
cur in the first year of life. and so
per cent before the sixteenth year, so
that so per cent of the people from the
standpoint of political economy come
under the head of unfit because they
repay none of the debt. He described
lin detail the conditions causing this
situation such as common infantile
diseases. improper diet. feeding. how
with proper care and feeding the
deathrate could be reduced so per cent
as all specialists in childrens diseases
agree. He spoke of the school life and
and factories and said that proper in
structions both of the working and
school child was necessary to save
them so as to get the best possible
results later on in the productive per-
iod of life.
He spoke. at some length of tuber-
culosis which brings about great act
ual increase in the number of pub
lie charges and at same time great
ly increases the number of depend
ent children. He showed how proper
methods Of prevention in many coun-
tries had reduced the death rate al
ready by one-half although the cam
paign was only in tbs incipiency He
also referred to other diseases which
he thought were of equal, if not great
err Importance, but which he could not
well discuss openly because of theii
2 peculiarly private nature. These dis
eases. he declared, were fruitful sour
{ ces of the usually accepted social debt
or class that is composed of the defec-
: tive relinquent and dependents. This
debtor class. as he previously pointed
out was too narrow i'm its scope anc
all those who die in early life in real
ity also belong to IL.
Ut. JdCkold SDoht VI Tic ~
he used to prevent the increase o.
. the debtor class, or unit, and expires
sed his belief in the now commonly
! accepted theory that under no circum'
stances should the detectives thu
blind. deaf and dumb, weak minded
and insane-be allowed to propagate
u This he thought very difficult TO d'
under the present circumstances be
:, cause of the lack of centeraliZed SAM
q tary authority as in other countries
y One of the first steps, he thought
should be the organization of ma
: tional department of health and tn
= ramification of it's authority through
II state and county boards of health I
e counties and townships.
But above all the question was on
e of public education. 1t could plainl
: be seen of what influential assistanc
= to the physicians the public had bee
D. i'm the anti tuberculosis crusades. Wit
II proper public sentiment and prope
II funds behind the medical societies
& other diseases-infant diseases for in
a stance could be overcome in the sam
J. way. This would require the unite
and earnest efforts of an enlightene
public, efficient officials, and we
trained physicians.