The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-08-13
DEDICATION IN HEALTH

Reports made to the Health Department as to
the prevalence of typhoid fever within the State
indicate IL remarkable improvement IN condi-
tons In rural Virginia during 1909 there was
reported total Of 1854 cases while for the same
month of this year, the total number of cases
reported is 1927, decline of .157 cases, or
practically IS per cent. The decline in the
number of cases reported results, also, after a
vigilance ON the part Of practicing physicians
much more marked than in former years. Greater
diligence in reporting nevertheless results in q
wonderful decrease in cases found.
A showing such as this can mean only the
one thing, that the campaign against disease in
general and against typhoid, preventable
disease, in particular has been educationally eff
fectve. Constant efforts the part of the health
departments, iteration and reiteration in pub
lie speeches, in bulletins and through the press,
of the common conditions resulting in this dread
ed disease, have had their clear effect. Time
was when people did not listen TO the results of
practical demonstrations of science. 1t is with
in easy memory when the germ theory was in
solently laughed ont of court by men who gave
their wooden heads the virtue of practicality
I That time, fortunately, seems to have passed.
Sanitation is slowly, but surely, coming to mean
sometulAR lhoIe tHuH d CUT OF Il ualue. IiedH-
illness is gaining appreciation as rule of health
And health is beginning to be considered in
something like its proper relation to personal
economies
1t is stated that the decrease In the number Of
typhoid cases means a saving in dollars of $780,,
900. This is an under rather than an over-esti-
mate of the actual saving in money from 1900
typhoid cases prevented. Taking into considera-
ton lives saved the potential values of those
lives, health ruined and the loss in invslidism,
the saving in year is lncalculable. With a
more general appreciation of the danger of this
disease and more thorough understanding of
the means of its prevention, slight degree of
care can in few years make what was once
summer sconrage at the most sporadic inhic
ton.
There is, however, still much to be done in
the way of education against this plague SO
deadly, 80 enervating, and so contagious. In
many sections of the country there are yet found
examples of households in which, a case of
typhoid having developed, it is considered the
natural thing that the fever should rum through
the family. The moss covered bucket" of hal
lowed memories-many of which are dutifully
marked with broken shafts in the graveyards-
stih continues its work in all seasens.- Stables
are still perched on convenient hills draining
into family springs, Flies from the stables
breed in millions, and partake regularly with the
family at meal time. The simple recourses of
testing the drinking water, of screening the house,
of preventing the propagation of flies, are yet
neglected upon the simple ground that the dan
ger which may be admitted is, at least, not visi-
ble Since germs do not have horns or sting like
yellow jackets, there is still the cult of the be-
Ilieve-it-when- that persists in paying
for its ignorance with it's own lives and those of
its children Perhaps it is not feasible that per-
sonal drinking water may be regulated by law.
It is feasible however, for every city, town. and
county to require either the screening or disin-