Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-09-30
ALCOHOL CAUSFS
$4,000 DEATHS
IN j. 8. YEARLY
And Thirty Per Cent Are Wa.
men, Insurance Editor Tells
Hygiene Congress.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3O-Tha, 9.
600 deaths due to alcohol occur anco,,
ly in the United States, was tho ~.
clusion reached here by Dr. F5u,o',
Bunnell Phelps, editor of The Amorio..
Underwater, in an address before ,5a
International Congress of Hygiene .a5
Demogra ply.
These figures are confined 10 adm.
deaths and constitute five per can, -.
the deaths of people of all ages in t5,,
country.
The speaker stated that these 6,,,...
were the result of the first serjous q.
tempt ever made in this country n -,
duce to specific figures the numbe. ".
victims alcohol claims every voar y.
America. There have been many %
called estimates" said Mr. PheIny br
people who were prejudiced either ~
one side or the other. but these u,..
merely "gusses." For instance s,...
of the prohibitionist actuaries had n,..
the number of alcoholic victims in ~.
United States up to $4,000 va.
These figures Mr. Phelps denounccg =,
absurd"
Of these deaths from alcohol ",
Phelps figures that about twenty ns,
cent of them are women.
Weakness in Pupils
In his address on physical Effcenc,
Tests DR.. James A. McCurdv or Nh.
Y. NJ. c. A. training school. Sprjngss5
Mass, stated that diseases OF tho nor
Vous system, of the heart and nj ina
Kidneys are increasing under modar,,
conditions among high school nuni.
A striking series of studies reprs.
senting four years work with by,
school boys by DR.. McCurdy was suT.
married in his paper before the con.
gress, Children formerly learned bv
aiding their parents. now they learn by
going to school. They now use chiefly
the highly specialized muscles used in
speaking. writing and close vision
rather than the large muscles of t5a
trunk and legs. The school activities
nave markedly reduced the activities
related to health and have increased
those which tend toward disease Dr.,
McCurdy showed the necessity of hav.
ing the large basal muscles Of the leg.
and trunk sound and strong If Nc
would have the individual healthy from
the standpoint of the nervous system.
In America, with characteristic dis.
regard of our natural resources. We
have not protected and conserved our
child life was the declaration Of Miss
Clara D Moves, general superintendent
of training schools of Bellevue Hospital,
New York city.
Importance Of Midwife.
I'VE have not recognized the mid
wife" continued Miss Noyes as nee
essary part of our social structure. At
tempts have been made from time to
time to eliminate her, always unsuc-
cessfully. however We have closed
our eyes and let her alone, without
means of education and without ade-
quate laws for control and supervision
In the United States in 1910 there
were 154S73 babies who died before
they were one year old.
IN facing this appalling cary
slaughter of the innocent" said Miss
Noyes, I'VE can not figure single con-
tributing factor. The conclusion OF the
whole matter seems to lie in intelligent
motherhood, since this is the case and
we are aware that so per cent of all the
births are attended by a class Of un-
taught and unframed women, who, as
rule. are densely ignorant and unspeaS-
ably dirty, we are neglecting at the
fountain head the health and possible
wealth Of our nation. The midwife, for
whom no opportunity for education has
been provided, can not be expected 10
teach to mothers that which she her
self has never been taught"