El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-11-03

quarter OF a century cut uOMA tl-T
death rate to such an extent that they
are saving half a million lives annually,
the full value of their work did not
appear upon the face of the statement.
While there are prOpOrtionately that
many fewer deaths annually In the
United States than there were 30 years
ago, the death rate from diseases
which may be prevented by Ine WOLA
of TIC sanitarian. has declined even 10
a greater extent
The reason for this Is tnaJ neatLy
all nOn-cOntag iOus diseases are -A
creasing, some of them as rapidly as
the contagious diseases are decreasIIls-
While the sanitarian has been driving
from lack of sanitation, he has seen the
death rate from those diseases "lLLCI
arise from OTerWOrks nara uNlns' 80
Indifference to diet increase VIII
startling rapldlty ~ Is 81 INC a71,,a nv
there are two persons qle dAu- 49,
from such diseases now where one u4Su
40 wears ago This conclusion is
borne out by the statistics OF Lue
Census Bureau and Of the lie lnsuL-
ance associations Of the united ola.e-.
From these figures II would aygle
that q quarter Of a million more ANes
are sacrificed annually 70 chI0llC -t -
eases than were sacrificed 80 years
ago With these figures IN mlnd IL
will appear that the sanitarlan &c
tualy has been able to cut uo"H -
number of deaths from disease aIls-
ing from llnsanftarv conditions to the
extent Of three-fourths OF d llt --io-1
Acute Diseases Are Accidents.
Acute diseases are accidents Iney
overtslZe the Individual whenever
germ happens TO strike him IN a Lun-
down condition and TO Ilnd ms sys
TEN a favorable haven Tor 1Js GPSIa
lions. DR. William 7. SedgeWlchs tiLS
famous biologist has divided the uls
eases TO which the human IlesH
heir into two classes, CONSTITUTIONS
and enTirOnmental- Gradually me -
monumental diseases are disappearing
before the crusades CT the sanlIdrldLls-
1t is with the constitutional diseases
that the medical profession IS uLeD-o
to cope 1t is said that nearly Il per
cent of all the deaths which occur IN
the United States arise from diseases
Of the circulatOry system. add 70
those diseases apOpleXy ana Ine az
ments which affect the kidneys, ana
you find that nearly one-fourth OF an
deaths are caused by these trouples-
Diseases Of the blood vessels nave IN
creased 1874 percent in Massacnusel
in less than q generation. Diseases OF
the kidneys have increased lot per
cent in Chicago in the same time
Diseases of the heart blood yess5is
and kidneys have been multiplied py
one and one-thIrd in the registrat1on
area OF the United states In only gu
These diseases arise almost wholly
from the process Of stra1nlng the nu-
man machine. Whether this strain
comes from OverwOrk, overeatlng, OF
from underworld It is equally narln-
ful to the machine. 1t begins 70 tetL
most strikingly after the age or So
Between his 40th year and MS 2Uln
birthday the average man In AassSd-
chusetts had his chances Of life cut
down IS percent in 80 years MOST
of this mortality is attributed to the
heavy demands which the busy lndlFld-
ual makes upon his body.
Increase OF Cancer.
Many medical men are much eNer-
cised over the apparent increase OF
cancer in the United States II IS es
timated that ne-tWenLleLn OF lle
people Of this country die OF tnaL teE
ribIe disease and that at least to,OUO
Americans are taken away by IL every
year DR. Williams, fellow OF the hoy-
al college Of England. says that there
are five times as many deaths from
cancer in the United States in proper
tiOn TO population as there were nalI
century ago. The Census bureau does
not agree with this alarming state
ment. however. While it recognizes
that cancer is increasing In the United
States 1t holds that most of the appar-
ent increase is due 10 the lacl llat
many thousands Of cases are recognized
today that were not pronounced cancer
a generation ago. with the improved
methods Of diagnosis, the physician is
able to recognize cases or cancer
been revealed only by an autopsy Men
have a better show with cancer thar
women. One Of every IL women VINO
reach the age Of 80 dies OF cancer
get 10 be So is fated to die with this
insanity Increasing.
1t is said that no other disease is
increasing more rapidly in the United
States than insanity. There are three
times as many crazy people today as
there were so years ago. And yet there
are prOpOrtionately only three-I11rns
as many insane persons in the United
States as in England. 1t is the be
lief Of many persons that general de-
cline in mentality is taking place In
the United States, and they express
the fear that in decade or two
Americas insanity rate. viii equal or
surpass that Of England. This process
of mental degeneration finds coun-
terDarC in the physical degeneration
that has taken place in highly civilized
communities. Wherever remains OF the
mound builders have been found, ev-
cry skull has had in it 81 sound teeth.
When the United States went into the
Philippines il found that the uncivil-
lied races had perfect teeth while the
civilized FiIpino's mouth was in bad
shape
A great increase in the amount Of
kidney disease in the United States has
shown up in all of the statistical in
quiries into the subject Alcoholism
and kindred habits have much to do
with this condition. When Brights
disease sends a man to the doctor 1t Is
nearly always after all hope is gone
The symptoms which are urgent
enough to demand his attention usual.
ly arise only after the albumen casts
appear.
Many Ills Could Be Averted.
1t is declared by medical authorities
that the major portion Of the suffer
ing from chronic diseases could be
averted if only the victim would see his
physician in time 1t is probable that
the future may bring forth a time
when the degree Of NJ. D. will give
place to that of 3. .. The men who
take care of our health will then be
known as biological engineers instead
of doctors OF medicine, and whether
they be paid by the state, as is advo-
Gated by some. or by the individual as
is defended by others, 1T is probable
that their main effort viii be to keep
their clients in health rather than TO
make their patients we'll That the
people as whole might well afford to
make such an arrangement is dis
closed by the fact that the medical
fees paid out in the United states
amount to hundreds of millions of dol
lars a year. The free clinic and the
free disDensary is fOrerunner Of these
things Men are beginning TO realize
that health is a national asset and are