Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1911-08-02


Philadelphia 1,063 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
11,375 typhoid deaths in the registration area,
and for 1909 there were 10,722 deaths-an aver
age Of about ZOO years. The registration
area includes only 81 per cent Of the total popu-
lation and does not include the South, where the
typhoid rate is very high. In ten southern states
the average rate has been 79. Twenty thousand
deaths year." says DR.. 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-
servative estimate, for the complete census OF
1900 showed 35,379 typhoid deaths that year.
For the sake of being conservative, however, let
us take Dr. Guilfoy's figures. They are large
enough.
The dead It has long been held. amount to not
more than onetenth Of the total number OF those
stricken. But recent studies" to quote Mr.
George c. Whipple, indicate only one death In
Is or 18 cases." If we allow death for every
twelve cases-an estimate that Dr. Guilfoy says
is entirely within the mark-we shall have the
tremendous annual total Of about 25O,OOO cases
Think of it-a 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 now
those serred ranks marched past hour after hour
until your eye grew tired Of watching them.
Then multiply that parade by ten, and imagine
what enormous army 25O,OOo persons Woulo
make. That is exactly the size Of the army, re-
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-
phod carries people off 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 go per cent to persons between lO
and 40.
The economic loss thus caused reaches stag
gering total The cost Of the epidemic at Plym-
outh, 1t is shown by Professor Mason, amounted
to more than $115000, divided as follows:
LOSS of wages Of those who recovered. $4,000
Cost of caring for the sick. ............. 67,0OO
Years earnings Of the dead. ............ 18,419
$115,5Ss
In making this estimate, however, allowance
was made for the loss OF only one years earn
ings An examination Of an 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 a life is usually valued in reckoning eco
nomc loss The typhoid loss is based only on
the number Of those who die AS Mr.. George
whipple 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, as figured from 500
cases in a Pennsylvania hospital, Is 43 days
Hence loss of wages plus cost Of medical at
tendance would easily average s1Oo for every
person who RECEIVERS. II ten recover for one who
dies, then an extra $1,000 must be added to the
$4,000 allowed for each death. making the total
economic loss caused by every typhoid death
$4,000.
Figured on this basis the loss to many CON-
munities amounts to millions Of dollars yearly.