The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-02-16
tRy Euaene L. Fisk. N. d.

ledSe VI VAST dCllNlllto lbl Ahe vi bhh7
ization of our defensive resources. All
other interests would sink into utter
insignifcance beside the problem of
national defense. Who would stop to
debate about freight rates. trust bust.
ing" the tariff, or any other political
or financial problem not directly con-
cerned with the immediate peril of
national invasion?
Well, peace talk to the contrary not
withstanding, it is easily demonstra-
BILE that during the present winter we
shall be engaged, not in a new war,
but in the winter campaign of ages;
old warfare of defense, sordid and in
glorious, accompanied by the needless
slaughter of over six hundred thous-
and lives a year. Gifted with nj
croscopic vision, one could watch the
gathering of the hosts of our enemies
in numbers that would make the
hordes of Atiila and Tamerlane seem
like a mere corporars guard.
And yet there are statesmen VINO
SILVER at the thought Of a modern 'yel-
low peril" while blithely ignoring the
certain onslaught of billions of the dip
lococci of pneumonia that is taking
place during the present winter. De-
bate over appropriations for battle
ships to protect us in the war that
may not come to this century, is a
serious and dignified affair; but de.
bate over the question of organizing
the nations protective resources in the
warfare that is constantly going on
between our people and the agencies
of disease is a matter for merry quip
and jest Homeric laughter is heard
in our legislative halls at the sugges-
ton that six hundred thousand lives
are needlessly sacrificed each year in
the grim contest, and "health con-
servation' is lightly dismissed as an
idle dream" to quote the words Of
leading statesman literally.
But it takes more than a senatorial
joke to kill the diplococcus of pneu'
monia. Sanitarians, municipal, State
and national health authorities, work
ing against tremendous odds, have
helped in lowering the death rate from
tuberculosis about forty-eight per cent
in the last thirty years. During the
same period the death rate from ty.
phoid fever has yielded forty-two PEI
cent; but, like the thin red line" q
historic memory, the diplococci O
pneumonia show little sign of yielding
and, while varying the fierceness o
their attack from year to year, are
just as much scourge as they were
thirty years ago. In some cities they
cause more deaths than pulmonary tn
berculosis, the plague par excellence
in the popular and in many scientific
minds.
In 1909 the death rate in the Unite
States registration area from all form.
of bronchitis and pneumonia was 16S ;
to the one hundred thousand, slightly
exceeding the death rate from al
forms of tuberculosis, which was 1877. o
while the death rate from tuberculos
is of the lungs was only 1886.
Commonsense IS Needed.
However slowly governmental agen
cies for health conservation may
evolve, the public can do much to les
sen the need for such agencies by the
exercise of the same commonsense il
the care of the body which he average
man is accustomed to employ in the
care of his business. 'Tn time of peace
prepare for war;" is accepted as an AK
iom Of military prudence. Instead o.
calmly, or even sullenly, acquiescinf
in the winters holocaust of pneumonia
why not take few precautions against
our little foes, the diplococci, and re-
solve not to contribute personally Z
the deathroll?
| Pneumonia was long CONSIDERED
local pulmonary disease; but /,
now classified as an infectious
general disease, caused by Z
germ; the diplococcus pneumonia
with it's most prominent manifesto
ton in the lung. This germ has :
number of beautiful aliases,-'pneu
mococcus," "streptococcus pneumon
lac" "micrococcus lanceolatus," etc
Although pneumonia attacks mos
frequently those in the third decade o.
life, it's fatality is chiefly manifested
among the very young, the very old
the prematurely old, and those whc
for any reason show impaired resist
ance to disease. Fifty per cent >
the fatal cases occur after forty years
of age; thirty per cent, occur afte
age sixty; and like proportion below
age five. There is every reason to be
lieve that pneumonia is a comparative
l., ,,,;1l o,l ,,onFotoI dicaoca apoDDt