The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-10-16

surance Companies Should Prevent
Deaths as Fire Insurance Companies
Prevent Fires.
"Out of some 100000 deaths an
nually in the United States, at least
100000 are preventable," declared lr-
wing Fisher, professor Of political econ
omy at Yale university, in his address
before the fourth national conserva-
ton congress at indianapolis. This
means over 100 unnecessary deaths
per day, or more than the lives lost in
the great Titanic disaster, which
spread a pail of gloom over the world.
The daily average death rate rarely
gets a passing comment
As first step in the great works Of
human conservation Professor Fisher
urged 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 hygienc
achievement of any country thus far is
tuuI Oh SNeuell, odlu lue plOAtSSOl'
where the duration of life is the
longest, the mortality the least and
the improvements the most general.
There alone can it be said that the
chances of life have been improved for
all ages of life.
Vitality Deteriorating Here.
Infancy, middle age and old age to-
day show lower mortality in Sweden
than in times past, while in other coun-
tries, including the United States, al
though we can boast of some reduc
ton in infant mortality, the mortality
after middle age is growing worse
and the innate vitality of the people
is in all probability deteriorating.
"In the United States public health
has been regarded almost exclusively
as a matter of protection against germs,
but protection against germs, while eff
fective in defending us from plague
and other epidemics Of acute diseases,
is almost powerless to prevent the
chronic diseases Of middle and late life.
These maladies-Bright's disease,
heart disease, nervous breakdowns-are
due primarily to unhygienic personal
habits.
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 of
one hundred on national health, of
which am president, to help stir these
three agencies into activity in this
country. They are the public press, the
insurance companies and the govern
ment.
Public Interest Greater.
"a few years ago popular articles on
public health were seldom seen, because
the public and the press thought the
subject of disease unlnteresting and re-
pulsive. Today, on the other hand, one
can scarcely pick up a popular maga-
zine without finding 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 explosions.
1--WE need a national department of
health or a department Of labor which
shall include in it's operations the con
servation of human life.
'But we need first Of all to do what
Sweden has done for $50 years-name-
ly, to establish proper vital statistics
Vital statistics are the bookkeeping OF
health. At present only little over
half Of the population of the United
States has statistics on its deaths.
zone of the most encouraging symp
toms of progress is the great attention
which is being paid TO public health in
the present political campaign. AL
three OF the party platforms included
planks in behalf Of public health"