New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-18
BY EUGENE LYMAN FISK, M. D.
Fellow of New York Academy of Medicine

posa at all times, regardless Of any apparent freedom
from epidemic or infectious influences in any par
ticuar locality, should be rigdly enforced. The ty-
phoid carrier is more than likely to infect milk and
other food supplies II his occupation brings him in
contact with such material. Also he may contami.
nate the water supply especially If he resides in rural
district.
THE wonderful achievements Of Colonel Gorgas in
cleaning up the Canal Zone excite enthusiasm
chiefly among medical men. The public at large placid
" accepts such results as the natural outcome OF Amcn-
can SUPERVISION THAT is the way alert cncrprsng
Americans do things. This canal IS big undertaking.
Il baflcd the engineers Of France; but We will Jig the
ditch and conquer the rocks and sand, just "e have
CONQUERED the microbes Of yellow fever and malaria
Thus might the average citizen express himself regard
ing these stupcndous achievements
But let us turn the scarchight from the pcs'hoc con-
vcrcd into health resort ut IS not real health resort
bv the way: the tropical climate IS still there and i,
will leave t. mark on many good American. and d.
rect il northWarl throughout our own tar ail. What
do we see, Must Colonel Gorgas and other n,rprng
Captains Of Sanitation weep, like Alexander. because
there are no more unSnltary worlds 70 conquer Mas,
mo- PIT = sanitary engineer in acropanc and send
him srrying over the country from ocean 70 ocean and
he would make you map that might wen d4un YEN
table Napoleon Of hygiene He would tel You that,
rynu1rinp the States with the Canal Zone before GOr
gas cleaned it up the honors weight for age are with
the Canal Zone; that the present death rate from
typhoid and other prcvcnablc diseases IS far more dis
graceful the wealthy KcpuDlC III Jllt temperate zone
than the former death rate from yellow fever and malaria
10 primitive little Panama with It's torrid neat cncrva,
ing climate and limited resources, dependent or rclci
upon a mere commercial organization Ike the French
Canal Company.
While the writer has not at his command q sanitary
aviator To- prepare spot map IN proof 81 iht. asSer-
tons is possible, hy working backward from effect
10 Cause 10 show with fair degree Of accuracy The SAM
tarv in-uccncics Of country. In attempting THIS,
we are confronted by the extreme backwaran- oi the
United States in the matter OF vital statistics. Only
,ixty-thrcc per cent Of the population represented IN
the United States registration area, wherein reason
abv accurate system Of registration OF births ana deaths
obtains There are no Southern States IN this region
cxccp, MARYLAND and Kentucky lthc latter admitted
IN lGl2) although many Southern cities are 'nDutel;
hence is impossible TO take the figures as accurately
rejecting the conditions existing Throughout, 'ne
country.
Starting with the registration figures which We know
20 be reasonably accurate, We find that IN 1910 mere
were twelve thousand six hundred and seventy a''e
deaths in the registration area from tNphot ever
equivalent 20 death rate Of two hundred ana thirty
five 10 the million Of population. While these figures
show decline in the death rate from typhoid Fever OF
forty per cent since 1880 IS well known that no nCh
decline has taken place in the nonrcgSiraon area In
fact the conditions revealed by the hookworm my ST
cation and the scattered statistics that are available
for Southern cities raise question as to Whetatr mere
has been any material decrease IN The typhoG 1e",R
rate in the nonrc1stration within recent years In
1000 the typhoid death rate for the entire Coun'r was
four hundred and sXty-ivc 70 the million. ASSUMING
that since then there has been decline tor the entire
country Of about thrty-tivc per cent, cquiF..' ="
that exhibited by the registration area we Should Ai
death rate for the United States Of three hunG.. Ht
two TO the million Of population. which cXlcc-- .c
rate OF two hunircl and SiNH-nnc reported b. 9.'n
for 1909 This places the United States as easily Tie
leader among civilized nations IN the death RAJ. ...'
u ilth-ciusci malady.
Ignoring estimates. however, and clnging 70 ii. &C.
ourl,c registration reports. the following cort:.'te
figures compiled by the writer should be s",t..,A.F