Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-10-03
CONSIDERS
LIFE CONSERVATION
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Of human conservation, Prof. Fisher
urged the establishment of an ade-
quate system Of collecting and dis
.tributing vital statistics similar 70
the system in use in Sweden.
Prof. Fisher said in part:
Probably the greatest hygenic
achievement OF any country thus far
is that of Sweden, where the dura-
Ition Of life Is the longest. the NOR
the least and the improve
ments the most general. There alone
it can be said that the chances Of life
have been improved for all ages to
live.
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 vital
ity Of the people is, in all probability,
de~teriorating.
I'm the United States public
health has been regard almost ex-
clusively as a matter Of protection
against germs; but protection
against germs while effective in de-
Tending us from plague and other
epidemics of acute diseases, is al
most powerless to prevent the
chronic diseases Of middle and late
life.
These Embellishments disease,
heart disease, V breakdown
are due primarily to unhygienic per-
sonal habits.
"Mediral inspection and instruc-
ton in schools, as we'll as Swedish
gymnastics have aided 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 and it has been the
object of the committee of one hun
dred on national health, of which
| am president, to help stir these
three agencies into activity. They
are the public press, then insurance
companies and the government.
"A few years ago, popular articles
on public health were seldom seen
because the public and the press
thought the subject of disease unin-
teresting and repulsive. Today on
the other hand one can scarcely pick
up a popular mayhem without find
ing, not only one but several. articles
dealing with questions Of public
health.
Life insurance companies can
ave 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.
1--WE need a national department
of health or a department of labor
which shall include in its operations
the conservation of human life.
1--WE need first of all to do what
Sweden has done for a hundred and
fifty years-namely. to establish
proper vital statistics.
Vital statistics are the ~bookkeep-
ing Of health. At present only at lit
tie over half of the population OF the
united States has statistics on it's
deaths.
-Four years ago. as a member Of
President Roosevelt's conservation
commission, | endeavored to report
on the condition Of our national
vitality
81 found that out of some $780,
900 deaths annually in the United
States, at least 100000 are prevent
able. OF these preventable deaths.
the greatest number are from seven
causes. These seven causes include
three great disease of infancy, ty-
phoid fever, which usually makes its
attack in the twenties, and tubcr-
culosis. accidents in industry and
pneumonia which come in the