The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-26
Secretary of State Health Board
Declares Mortality Is
Too High.
URGES PEOPLE OF UTAH
TO TAKE PROMPT ACTION
Appropriations for Conserving
of Public Health Far Too
Small, He Says.

That 200 persons died in Utah in
January because Of the ignorance or
cerelessness of others in the carving
out of medical laws and health rules of
the state, is tho declaration of DIR. l.
b. Beatty, secretary OF the state board
of health, in a supplement TO the regu'
lar monthly health bulletin. The sup
plcmcnt to the bulletin follows:
To one who has studied the subject
Of disease prevention. IL is depressing
to rend the monthly serial story OF SUI
fering and death In Utah. OF which the
accompanying report for January II tnI
latest nstallment. To the total oi a+i
fifty. which is the average OF reports re-
ceivcd each month too late to be IN
cludcd In The bulletin. Not less than
twc-fifths of these deaths were AN un-
necessary and prcvcutable sacrifice IN
other words. zoo persons. were doomed
10 die because OF tthers' Ignorance or
their neighbors' rights, Homes through
out the state were blightcd by the un-
the primo of life, the sole support OF
their families. and OF mothers who could
bc illspared.
Possible to Danish Disease.
Pasteur declared. and the opinion is
shared by all sanitary authorities, mat
iii Is within the power of man to ban
ish parasitic diseases from the world.
BY parasitic diseases are meant the so,
called germ diseases including typhoid
fever. tuberculosis, pneumonia, the IN
fectious diseases OF childhood. etc, which
cause more than two-fifths OF all
drahtS.
In addition TO The sorrow and suffer
ing. the money loss involved In this
needless sickness and death Is appalling.
y low estimate OF the value OF tho 200
lives compared with their earning ca
pacity and not counting the expense OF
sickness shows an aggregate loss FOR the
month amounting TO $5oO.OO0. The public
apathy displayed in the face of these
facts is one OF the unsolVcd mysteries
.? the human mind. Does any one be
aroused il this enormous monthly loss
were caused by prcventable disease
occurring in hogs or cattle? Would II
not excite the utmost interest and con-
Germ ard result In bringing 10 bear all
the resources OF the state and the eN-
pcndiiure OF vast sums for the eradica-
ton ri the disease? Is II not "A fact that
in every community. the best men OBJ
tasnablc would be employed TO enforce
the necessary measures regardless OF
expense and that no cffor, would be
spared in educating ana instructlnS peo-
pie as TO the nature OF the malady and
means OF prevention?
Appropriation Too Small.
Contrast with This the fact that one
actual amount appropriated by the state
government OF Utah with which TO COM
bat the unnecessary destruction of more
than 1900 lives annually: and the local
authorities frequently employ as health
officers men who are wholly unfit and
incompetent. because more capable mem
bers OF The community refuse TO accept
the miserable pittauce that is doled out
as compensation.
1t is only just to add that there are
many competent and faithful health Of
iicers who do not consider the question
OF compensation. They know that lives
are saved By their efforts and the con-
M not DC a,l fNr
the performance OF the responsible duties
ma, ,hat ,oi,cn animates the dislike and
they struggle 20 protect.
Conserving Public Health.
The following quotation from a re-
cent writer is an apt statement OF eX-
islinG facts
One bit OF the truth that has re-
the Importance 'of which IS not vet
much more than guessed az. is that IL
IS the duty of the government TO con-
money inteligcntly expended for this
purpose constitutes real economy and
WI! become n source of enormous profit.
as 10 the cause OF disease for thousands
OF years. the natural feeling OF in
crcduli;y with which the average con-
servatlve human being receives the an
ness. cupidity and and politics. with 'i1u nu-
merous other equally potent factors have
work: undertaken in recognition Of this
principle. However. through the ac-
cu'1ulation of vital statistics and the
dissemination of these records and the
discoveries OF scientific investigators
through the medium OF the newspapers
and magazines. through tho persistent
efforts Of health boards and public well
1are organizations, and through The in
fiuence OF such graphic representa- tious
OF the effects OF prevention measures as
have. been afforded in the construction
OF the Panama canal, the people arr
coming TO a very keen appreciation OF
this work and to demand OF their lcgis-
lauyc and executive officers proper at
tcBtiou 10 it,
Movement World Wide.
IT is hoped that the people OF Utah
may, join in this appreciation of what
Is becoming world wide movement
inc most important that mankind ever
mas or ever can engage in: that as Of
ficials or individuals they not only WIFI
uphold and cooperate with their duly
appointed health authorities in their ef-
forts to stay the ravages of disease and
deaIh. but VIII acuuaint themselves with
the. discoveries which have made II pos
sible to achieve this object To degree
undreamed OF by past generations. Let
not their duty end until they have con-
tributed 10 The lull extent OF their power
10 she spreading OF the lifs-saving knowI-
edge made available by these the great
est discoveries Of modern science Brief
~ stated, IL Is now known that all com
municable diseases arc caused by living
organisms Known as germs which orig
lnatc solely In Il preceding case, hat
they cannot originate outside OF the body
that they arc given off from the person
affected and if destroyed VIII prove
harmless to others, and that the meth
obs OF accomplishing this object are very
simple and effective.