Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-10
HOLDS NEEDLESS
MUCH OF ILLNESS
Life Insurance Association
Points to Huge Economic
Losses in Nation.

| New York, June 10.-On the ground
that illness in this country is causing
huge economic losses, mounting every
year into hundreds of millions of dol
lars, the Association of Life Insurance
Presidents was urged today to aid in
a movement for comprehensive sys-
i tenn of reporting cases of sickness
throughout the different states, along
the lines that deaths are now reported.
1t was declared that much of the ILL
ness of today is needless and that the
first step in prevention must be &C
curate knowledge as to the occurrence
of sickness. The recommendation was
made by DR.. Louis l. Dublin, life in
surance statistician OF this city. A
model law to provide for such reports
has been prepared by the Conference
of State and Territorial Authorities in
conjunction with the United States
Public Health service. An effort is be-
ing made to interest large business
and industrial concerns in the move
ment, principally on the ground of the
resulting economic benefit to them. Be-
sides, it is pointed out that any reduc-
ton of economic loss will, without adj
ditional effort, or expense, bring con-
currently a vast reduction in social
loss, including physical suffering, de-
tendency, lack of education and train
ing and other results of illness that
lower the standard of family and COM
munity life.
THE life saving campaigns of the
last few decades have borne fruit"
said DR.. Dublin in his recommends |
ton. The death rate has been low !
cred and the average span of life cor |
heightened. Deaths from !
certain causes, especially from typhoid |
fever, smallpox, the infectious dis |
eases of childhood, and tuberculosis !
have been reduced. The amount of |
sickness, on the other hand, has not !
been controlled to any appreciate de-
gree. There is still too much sickness !
among us. Indeed, there are those |
who, with some authority. maintain |
that illness has actually increased in
spite of the saving in mortality. The
next twenty years must, therefore, see
our activities in health work directed |
to the control Of disease. If
we avail ourselves of our present
of sanitary science, we can
reduce the incidence of illness fully as
much as we have already cut down our
death rates.
''The basis for any campaign against |,
sickness must be an accurate knowl- |,
edge of its prevalence. Just as the
reduction of mortality is furthered by I,
| complete registration of deaths and
heir causes, so our efforts to reduce l.
he frequency of disease depend upon
for reporting the cases of II
sickness, their causes, and their dura-
ion, for each group in the community. Ii
COR this purpose, it is not sufficient to |,
Know only, as We do now, the number II
Who have died from any particular
,ause. We must henceforth place our
emphasis upon the cases of sickness
themselves. They are socially more ]
than deaths and our pro-
ram must more and more prevent
heir occurrence and effect their con-
roll The state must, therefore, in the
lrst instance, see that all preventabIe
diseases are recorded that we may Law
ur foundation for efficient sanitary
Health departments have long real.
zed the Importance of registering dis.
ase. at first they required the re-
orting or the plaques such as small
OK. yellow fever. cholera, etc. Later.
he list was extended to include the
cute infections. especially those of
hildhood. like diphtheria. scarlet few
and measles. With the DEVELOPMENT
the germ theory of disease, the re-
orting OF tuberculosis was included;
rst on a voluntary. and later on a
ompulsory basis. Finally. in some of
he more advanced states. certain nom
lfectious diseases. such as cancer.
and even few OF the occu-
ational diseases. have been made re-
ortable. At the present time, nearly