Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-12-10
RURAL LIFE EXCELLENT.
Some Statistics Dealing With Human
Efficiency. Physical and Mental

Some Statistics Dealing With Human
Efficiency. Physical and Mental
Jacksonville, FlaERural life pro-
duces students who are better fitted
physically for their work than those
born and reader in cities. according to
an address delieverd here today by
Prof. Walter r.. Wilcox, Of Cornell Uni
versity, before the vital statistics sec
ton of the annual convention of the
American Public Health association.
An examination extending over
three years OF members OF the fresh
man class at Cornell showed, Profess
sor Wilcox declared, that students
from the country as class were tall
or. heavier, and had greater lung ca
pacity and greater chest girth than
students from the cities.
Over-heating caused by badly VEN
tilated room has more harmful effect
upon the human body than the chemf-
cal poisons in the air, according to
the report of the first years work of
the New York State Commission on
Ventilation, read before the associa
ton today by Prof. G. e. A. Winslow,
chairman of the commission.
The New York State Commission
has fitted up an experimental room
in the College of the City of New York
where it is possible to maintain any
desired air condition. Over 100 sub
jects have been kept in this room for
various periods during the past year.
When the experimental room of
the New York Commission was warm,
the investigators found that the pulse
and body temperature and blood pres
sure of the subject was markedly af-
fected, and that, although they could
do hard physical and mental work If
they tried, If they had a choice they
would accomplish much less than at
lower temperature Physical work
done was reduced Is per cent by rails
ing the temperature from 6S degrees
to rs degrees.
None of these bad effects were noted
if the rooms were kept cool, even If
the air were not changed at ell, but
kept stagnant for eight hours so that
the carbolic dioxide went up to 10 or
90 times in fresh air. Just one thing
the commission found was affected by
the chemical substances in stale
breathed air-the appetite. The sub
iects we're served with high standard
lunches, and what they left on their
plates was weighed and analysed, and
It was found that they ate more when
the air was fresh than when it wa
not changed.
Several years would be added to
the life of the average individual If
the plan now followed by the Me-
York City Deoarfn1ent OF Health IN
safeguarding the health Of its en-
r1oyes should be extended to the
CT immunity at large in the opinion of
DR.. Charles S. SIade of that depart
ment
In an address here TODAY Doctor
Slade gave an analysis of 700 medical
examinations of department of health
employees, showing that more than 40
per cent of these persons suffered from
disease or defects of which they were
not aware
t'More than 25 ner cent of the entire
number showed the early signs of dis
ease of their digestive organs, hearts
hood vessels Or kidneys" said no~i~r
Slade. "The majority of these DIS
esses can be arrested If detected early
"While the general death rate in
those under 40 years of age is dimin-
ishing, that between 40 and so Is in
creasing from the disease mentioned
Universal medical examinations would
therefore, tend to lower the death
rate during the most efficient years of
human life"