The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-10-29
ADVOCATES
Better Vital Statistics 10 The
United States
Newspapers And Insurance
Companies Are Lifc.Sav.
ing Agencies

professor of political economy at Yale
University, says the newspaper, the In.
surance companies and the federal
government are the three great agen-
cies to which the people Of the coun-
try must look for the saving of human
life.
As first step in the great works
Of human conservation, Professor Fish.
er urges the establishment of an ade.
quate system of collecting and distrib.
uting vital statistics similar to the
system in use In Sweden.
Probably the greatest hygienic
achievement of any country thus far
is that of Sweden, where the duration
of life is the longest, the mortality the
least and the improvements the most
general. There alone can 1t be said
that the chances of life have been i'm
proved for all ages Of life," he says.
Infancy, middle age and old age
today show lower mortality in Swe.
den than in times past, while In other
countries, including the United States,
although we can boast OF some re-
duction In infant mortality, the NOR.
tality after middle age Is growing
worse and the innate vitality of the
people is. in all probability, deterio-
rating.
in the United States public health
has been regarded almost exclusively
az matter OF protection against
germs, but protection again germs
while effective in defending us from
plague and other epidemics Of acute
diseases, is almost powerless to pre-
vent the chronic diseases Of middle
and late life.
These maladies--Bright's disease,
heart disease. nervous breakdowns--
are due primarily to unhygienic per.
sonal habits.
Medical inspection and instruction
in schools. as well as Swedish gym.
nastics have aided greatly in the mus.
cular development Of the citizens of
Sweden, Swedish hard bread has pre-.
served their teeth. The Gothenburg
system is gradually weaving them al.
cohol. There has even been 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 committee oi
100 on national health, OF which I am
president, to help stir these three agen
cies into activity In this country. They
are the public press, the insurance
companies and the government.
"A few years ago. popular articles
on public health we're seldom seen be
cause the public and the press thought
the subject of disease uninteresting
and repulslve. Today on the other
hand one can scarcely pick up popu
lar magazine without finding. not only
one. but several articles dealing with
questions OF public health.
Life insurance companies can save
money by preventing deaths, Just rs
fre insurance companies have saved
money by preventing fires and steam
boiler insurance companies have saved
money by preventing explosions.
I'VE need a national department OF
health, or department of labor which
shall include In its operations the con
servation of human life.
I'VE need. first Of all. to do what
Sweden has done for 150 years, name
ly, to establish proper vital statistics
| vital statistics are the bookkeeping
of health. At present only little
over half the population Of the United
States has statistics on its deaths.
-Four years ago. as q member OF
President Roosevelt's conservation
commission. endeavored to report
on the condition of our national vital
ity.'
81 found that out Of some 100000
deaths annually In the United States
at least 630.000 are preventable. Oi
these preventable deaths the greatest
number are from seven causes. These
seven causes include three great dis
asses Of infancy, typhoid fever. which
usually makes It attack in the twenties
and tuberculosis; accidents In indus
try and pneumonia. which come In the
thirties.
Now $4,000 unnecessary deaths
year meansa over 1900 unnecessary
deaths day, or more than the lives
| lost In the Titanic disaster.
"The popular Inauguration was
deeply stirred by the image OF 1900
helpless human lives suddenly on
quilted In midocean. II led to lmme
iiate official action on both sides oi
the Atlantic to safeguard human life
Mt sea. Yet on land We lost 265 times
as many lives as this every year.
"One OF the most encouraging symp
toms OF progress is the great attention
| which la h..iuU Maid IN nublic health