The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-10-04
PROF. FISHER
Tells OF NEED
Of LIFE SAVING
Declares Thousands of Deaths
Each Year Can Easily
be Prevented.
RAISES SWEDEN'S WORK
Points Out Newspapers, Gov
ernment and Others as Dis
ease Preventers.
RAISES SWEDEN'S WORK
Associated Press Dispatch.

luuldudpOllS, luu.y oSi. -" ~ fiA5
Fisher, professor of political economy
at Yale university, today told dele
gates to the National Conservation
Congress that the newspapers, the
insurance companies and the federal
government were the three great
agencies to which the people Of the
country must look for the saving of
human life.
AS first step in the great works
of human conservation, Prof. Fisher
urged the establishment of an ade-
quate system Of collecting and dis
tributing vital statistics similar to
the system in use in Sweden.
Prot. Fisher said in part:
Probably the greatest hygienic
achievement of any country thus far
is that of Sweden, where the dura-
ton of life is the longest, the mortal
ity the least and the improvements
the most general. There alone can
it be said that the chances of life
have heen improved for all ages of
life,
Reduction in Sweden.
Infancy, middle age and old age
today show a lower mortality In
Sweden than in times past, while in
other countries, including the
United States, although we can
boast Of some reduction In infant
mortality, the mortality after middle
age is growing, worse and the innate.
vitality of the people is, in all prob
ability, deteriocating.
"In the United States public
health has been regarded almost ex-
clusively as matter of protection
against germs; but protection
against germs while effective in de-
Tending us from plague and other
epidemics of acute diseases, is almost
powerless to prevent the chronic
diseases Of middle and late life.
tThese maladles-Brights disease,
heart disease, nervous breakdowns,--
are due primarily to unhygienic per-
sonal habits.
Medical inspection and instruc-
tion in schools, as we'll as Swedish
gymnastics have aide1 greatly in the
muscular development of the citizens
of Sweden. Swedish hard bread has
preserved their teeth. The Gothen-
burg system Is gradually weaving
them from alcohol. There has even
been a strong movement against the
use of tobacco.
"There are three great agencies to
which we must look for the saving
of human life in the future and it
has been the object of the Commit
tee of One Hundred on Nationai
Health. of which am president, to
help stir these three agencies into
activity in this country. They aare
the public press. the insurance COM
panies and the government.
Health Question Paramount.
"A few years ago, popular articles,
on pubic health were seldom seen be-
cause the public and the press
thought the subject of disease unin-
teresting and Iepulsive. Today on
the other hand one can scarcely PICK
|up q popular magazine without find
ing, not only one but several,
articles dealing with questions of
public health.
Life insurance companies can
save money by preventing deaths
just as fire insurance companies have
saved money by preventing fires and
steam boiler Insurance companies
have saved money by preventing ex-
plosions.
eve need national department Of
health or department of labor
which shall include IN its operations
the conservation of human life.
We need first of all to do what
Sweden has done for hundred and
fifty years-namely, to establish
proper vital statistics.
Vital statistics are the book
keeping of health. At present only
a little over half of the population OF
| the United States has statistics on its
deaths.
-Four years ago, as a member OF
President Roosevelt's Conservation
Commission, ! endeavored to report
on the condition of our national
vitality
II found that out of some 1,500,-
900 deaths annually in the United
States, at least 100000 are prevent
able. OF these preventable deaths
the greater number are from seven
causes. These seven causes include
Concluded on Page Six.)