The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-07
RICHMOND LEADS.
BUT CAN Do MORE
Life Insurance Expert Com
mends Work Of Local Health
Department
SOME WISE SUGGESTIONS
Strongly Urges Greater Warfare
OH Diseases Which Can
BE Cured
SOME WISE SUGGESTIONS

While highly commencing tho work
being done by the Richmond Health
bepa rtment z. E. Rittcnhousc. former
president OF an old line life insurance
company. and now expert in tho CON
scrvation OF human life. said Yesterday
TO 4 reporter for The 1rrnes-Djspatch
that tho city should further increase
the efficiency OF the department by
larger appropriations Richmond, he
said, is ahead of many cities In health
work. but still not as Ear advanced az
it should be-
Mr.. Rittenhouse, who cnioysa world.
wide reputation for knowledge OF vital
statistics, and who IL now the head
OF the conservation commission or a
6rcat iige assurance society. is tho
hlsnesi authority in America in re-
gard to health and sanitary work.
short while ago he published ); most
striking article on race suicide. in
which he took issue with Colonel
roosevelt in way that attracted mo
AtttNtion OF the press OF the country
Gut III his years of active experience
ana study OF conditions, no has fnall,
e'ol'ed plan of action for health
departments which he is cudcavor,n..
Like Police Department..
II III nothing less than the orrsniz,
ton OF the City Health Department on
exactly similar lines to the Police De-
partment. plan which would cali
ioT the establishment Of health sta
lions" throughout the city iustas there
ponce stations, and health officers
with police powers.
Richmond permits were then 200
Of her people TO be ncedlessIy dcstrov-
ca every year by prevcnL4ble dis
case. said Mr.. Rittenhouse Yesterday
Eichmond has made 81 splendid ad-
vance IN its pubic health service dur
ing recent years. and its officials are
ehic!en', but, Hoe other American com
minutes INC people do not appropriate
ma enough money to save these lives.
mere Isn't city in our glorious land
mat mas anything approaching an ado
T'!atc health service
the low estimate Of 81 900 az tho
productive value of Il human life. Rich
mohd loses over S1,ao0,0Q0 every wear.
not TO mention the cost % tho iu
H.nS pFccedihg these needless deaths
rake tuberculosis, for instance, YOUR
Death rate is 223 out of 1000. what Is
worse there arc at least 1900 pno
pc spre. ding this Infection TO m,
rest OF the community or to such n,
are susceptible TO the disease. Here
Is pleaSuc moro wasting and deadly
thah sinai lpoN. and vet we virtually
.snoFc II. Our efforts to check il.
throughout public health departments.
arc fnlly recognized. but owing to tho
rack OF funds. they arc feeble indeed
compared with tho loss of life this in
fcction is still causing
suppose this were new disease
Just brought in from abroad. would
we Ignore 1t then? Not much. The |
1n fss.s y
preventative measures that really nre
ven, would be adopted. Every case
would DC under rigid official superyis- |
ION. and those afflicted who refused or
tailed 10 abserve the preventative
regulations of the city or state. would |
DC promptly sent TO isolo ton camns
or hospitals And We would stop the
~nite prague as we did the Asiatic
cholera and yellow fever. as soon as
We learned the cause.
Could Do Even More.
Why cannot Richmond be the 1-st
10 establish ample sanatoria for IN.
inilder cases and hospitals for tho ad
'anced CAGES. and compel tho ohserv-
a nee of rigid precautionary measures
it may De true that Richmond is now
ooing more than other cities similar,vi
situated. but that is not enough
lsichmond should spend at least
twice what it does now to save hun,a
misery and life. II should enlarge thri
scope and the machinery of its healtb
service IT should be the first civ IN
establish life saving stations or pub- /
nc hcalth stations. just as IL has no. !
lice stations From these substations /.
the officials could get in close touch
with the people and do Il splendid edu- |
cationai work along preventative
lines The city could give much closer
and more effective supervision from
these stations to its sanitary and purc
1000 work. Here 1t could give free
health examinations or diagnosis TO !
thosc who asked 1t, and through its /
staff of inspectors male and female. |
II could spread the gospel Of santa
ton and of home and personal bvgien,
There is no end to the good work such
Il system could do.
MIR. Rittenhousc is native Of Navy
York. although he has spent many
years OF his life in Colorado ana
abroad. He was snccessivcly railway
telegraph expert. special CORRESPONDENT,
of tho New York Herald in Korca. L;u-
ropean correspondent OF the Herald |
editor of the Daily Telegraph, of Col.
orado Springs; State Commissioned crI
Insurance. of Colorado; president Of
the Provident Savings Life Assurance
Society. OF New York. and consorya
ton commissioner of the 3ouitablc
Life 4 S.ocipt,-