Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1911-08-03


Philadelphia 1903 deaths and 9,721 cases In
every case the death rate has been terrible, ris
Ing. In many instances, to several hundred Per
100000 population.
The U. s. Census Bureau report for 1908 shows
1875 typhoid deaths In the registration area
and for 1909 there were 1912 deaths--an aver
age of about 11.000 a years The registration
area includes only 81 per cent OF the total popu-
ation, and does not include the South where the
typhoid rate is very high. In ten southern states
the average rate has been 70. Twenty thousand
deaths year" says DIR. William Guilfoy Regis
trar OF Vital Statistics of New York City. would
be very conservative estimate of the total an
nual typhoid mortality" Certainly this is con-
servatfve estimate. for the complete of
1900 showed $3.50 typhoid deaths that year
For the sake of being conservative however. let
US take DR.. Guilfoys figures They are large
enough.
The dead it has long been held amount to not
more than one-tenth of the total number of those
stricken. But recent studies" to quote MIR
George G. Whipple indicate only one death in
Is or IS cases" If we allow one death for every
twelve cases-an estimate that DR.. Guilfoy liys
is entirely within the mark-we shall Nave the
tremendous annual total of about 250000 cas- IS.
Think of tia quarter OF million people yearly
stricken with typhoid!
Recall the largest parade you ever saw-say
one with $4,000 troops in line-and think how
until your eye grew tired of watching them.
Then multiply that parade by ten, and imagine
what enormous army 100000 persons would
make. That Is exactly the size of the army
cruited anew every year. that this country forces
to fght--typhoid fever.
Like any other army. this army. too, costs
money. in this case. though. the cost is IN the
form OF economic loss. Statistics compiled by
the Connecticut Board Of Health show that ty
phoid carries people OF in the years of their
greatest earning capacity. Al per cent OF the
deaths occurring to persons between the ages of
20 and 40. and so per cent to persons between 10
and 40.
The economic loss thus caused reaches stag
gering total. The cost of the epidemic at Plym-
outh, it is shown by Professor Mason, amounted
to more than $115,oOo divided follows
Loss Of wages Of those who recovered. $4,000
Cost of caring for the sick.............. $1,000
Years earnings Of the dead. ............ 1S419
s1l55Ss
In making this estimate, however, allowance
was made for the loss Of only one years earn
ings An examination of insurance mortality
table shows that the man who dies before he is
forty dies before his time. Hence his death
represents loss not of one years income. but
of many Five thousand dollars is the sum at
which life is usually valued in reckoning
nomic loss. The typhoid loss Is based only on
the number of those who die. As Mr. George
Whpple points out there Is an added loss occa-
stoned by non-fatal typhoid illnesses that should
also be taken into account. The average period
of typhoid convalescence. figured from 500
cases in Pennsylvania hospital, is 43 days.
Hence loss of wages plus cost of medical at
tendance would easily average 500 for every
person who RECEIVERS II ten recover for one who
dies. then an extra $1,000 must be added to the
$1,000 allowed Afor each death. making the total
economic loss caused by every typhoid death
$4,000.
Figured this basis the loss to many COM
munities amounts to millions of dollars yearly.