The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-04-07
Cities as Healthy as the Country, Now.
adays.

In the Health and Horsepower" de
Ipartment of the April American Maya
Izine, DIR. Woods Hutchinson, who pre-
isents practical suggestions on the cart
Iof the health. makes an interesting com
parison of cities and the country; q
ipart of which follows:
| "The country must look 70 rs laurel,
from a health point of view. 4 century
yes, half a cea;ary aga. contest be
tween the open country ana the crowded
icity for the title OF the henltklest place
TO live in would have been like the race
between the tortoise and the hare. Every
advantage. apparently, was on the side
lof the country
"Cities were described as pest holes
cancers upon the body polite, and We
were solemuly assured that no family,
however vigorous, could survive for
more than three generations in their
pestilent atmosphere.
, But, nothing daunted, the busy, bus
ting, smoke -clouded CRIME smeared,
over crowded. noise deafened city threw
loff its coat and buckled down to work
to make itself fit place to live in, and
the results are already beginning to
show.
Because most of the milk in a great
metropolis is from two to three days ole
before it reaches the consumer, and
would consequent be one teeming
mass of bacteria If il had been dirtily
produced, or carelessly handled. as II
was on the old-fashoned farm, sys-
TENS of milk inspection were estab-
lished, so that now the purest and rich
nut s., H. III
the world is sold in our great cities. and
the average purity and richness of the
entire supply of London, Berlin, or
Buenos Ayres is higher than that of
most country towns and farm districts.
Because of average higher incomes
and the greater abundance and variety
of food supplies the year round, par
ticulsrly of fruit and fresh vegetables
in winter, together with prompter and
more efficient handling of epidemic and
contagious disease. the death rate of our
great cities has for nearly twenty years
past begun to compare very favorably
with that of the open country. And
this. in spite of their huge Stun popu-
lations, their large proportion of immi-
grants, either from abroad or from the
who have not vet adjusted
themselves to city life, and the greater
for spread of contagious
disease from overcrowding.
"For a number of years past the death
rates of our great cities, like London.
Berlin. and New York. have been equal
TO and in some months below that of
The average for the entire country. The
record figures were reached at the close
VI 1912. which showed New York md !
chicago vying for the proud honor of
he healthiest large city in the world,
With death rates of only a little over
ourteen per thousand living. while the i
Iverage rate for the whole United |
states is sixteen.
AS finishing touch comes the stimuli
aneous and independent report Of The I
lhysieial instructors in two Of our mid
he western universities. to the effect /
hat the city and town boys who come
IS students 20 the universities iby that
meaning those who hail from towns Of
more than five thousand populationi are
aller. stronger. and more vigorous than
hose who hail from the villages aud 4
he open country; that the country boys
lso show. horrible TO relate. q higher
ercentage Of physical defects. such as
toop shoulders. narrow chests, Aatfoot,
nd curgatures Of the spine