The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-01-23
SANITARY LAWS
DISREGARDED
Health Habits Cause Dis
ease in Kentucky.
n Singing Indictment By State
Board Of Health meeting at
Frankfort.

biennial report OF the state board oil
health to the governor. adopted to-
day, comment is made on the fact
that the first board was appointed
by Gov. McCreary during his first
term. and that now, under the Act
Of 1910, the board ''for the first
time In able to give in exact figures
an actual invoice Of the state of
health Of our population"
The report shows that in the thir-
ty-three months OF the operation of
the vi.:.i statistics law there have
been reported 1885. births and 49,
77s deaths. Of the latter 1886
being caused by preveh'able diseas-
es. For each Of these d, aths, says
the report. there were Nenty-six
cases of illness from the same cause,
making a total of 54l, $50 cases OF
illness which ought to have been pre-
vented.
During the last two years 49,
562 microscopic examinations have
been made in the meteorological la
boratory of specimens submitted to
determine the kind of disease
germs causing the malady being in
,iestigate,d showing that physicians
all over the state are awaiting them
selves Of the use of the laboratory.
Hundreds of examinations of water
have been made. and sanitary inspec-
sprs have been~,in.tho- field conduct
Sfhg q campaign against tainted drink
in- water.
aticn the meteorological laboratory
has paid the expenses Of the depart
ment for five years.
In the course of its annual report
the board says:
las a concrete example Of pres
ent waste OF energy and INSTRUCTED
effort l submit a photograph taken
during school hours In one OF our
common schools where the teacher
was giving a lesson in music to
class Of students every one of whom
and the teacher himself was suffer-
ing from q preventable disease about
which in their entire school course
from the co,>ity school through the
State University they would not hear
a single word unless accidentally!
The miserable text of which is re
Quired in our common schools by
law, gives page on page OF facts and
names TO be memori2ed which are
useless even to doctors and ncglects
every principle OF right living
which should be, and DIS placed by
progressive teachers as the first, last
and most Important lesson to be i'm
pressed upon the growing child.
81 have selected ten counties, typi-
Gal as to health and disease condi-
Aions OF all the rest, and the exact
figures rs to causes OF death here
with. Similar figures are available
AS 10 every county.
Continuing the report says:
AL preventable diseases are
spread directly or indirectly by the
discharges from the human body
Except tuberculosis, diptheria and
other affections OF the lungs and air
passages in which the seed or
germs are carried in the sputun, and
syphilis and gonOrrhoea. most
of them are due to lack oi care In
the disposal OF the discharges from
the bowels and kidneys. Moses. the
first gres- sanitarian. SO fully recog-
nized the danger from this neslect
that he imposed the Immediate bur
ial of such discharges as q regig-
ious duty. and required each per-
son to carry paddle with him for
that purpose. with an improved
health ana life record for his poo-
plo which seems incredible. This
salutary practice appears 10 have
been LOST to the world. Except In
sasch parts OF modern cities as have
sewer systems. the country at large
still tolerates the familiar and dan
serous customs In this regard that
has come down from ages, with cpl
emics and pestilences inseperable
Asm disregard OF the laws OF ma
ture and decency Probably no peo-
pie. even among the most barbarous.
have persisted in filthier practices In
the disposal of their DISCHARGES than