Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-12-17
SCHOOL BUILDINGS
FOR HEALTH CAMPAIGN

campaign to instruct women on
health matters, Miss NJ. e. Bingeman,
who is secretary of the live a Little
Longer" committee of Rochester, N. Y,
recently asked the Association of Life In
surance Presidents to assume the lead
ership of a movement to utilize the 2G7 900
school buildings In the United States
for this purpose,
Miss Bingeman declared that recent ex-
perience in Rochester had proved the
plan n success. we have found such a
splendid point Of advantage from which
to take a crack at the enemy--disease-
that | am here" said Miss Bingeman.
ito ask you to help place an army Of
several thousand In this position instead
of just two people. which is the number
engaged In Rochester.
The board of education engaged two
teachers. one q doctor and one a nurse.
to give lessons bearing directly on health
and life conservation; for example, what
diseases are preventable how to help
to keep them from the home. and also
by community effort from the commu-
nifty.
The classes-to membership in which
women Is years old and over are eligible
are taught in the public schools outside
OF school hours, that is. between four
and Ave in the afternoon Evening
courses are also to be begun. BY giving
these health courses in one school after
another--or in one group of schools after
another-they will eventually be within
walking distance of every woman in the
city.
I'VE have In the United States at least
one and one-half million people sick from
preventabl causes, largely for lack Of
health education; 1900 doctors and l0o.
900 trained nurses, competent to give in
structons, 267 900 school buildings, most
of which have some idle rooms during
at least 50 per cent. of the possible
teaching hours.
is it too much to say that the coun-
try is merely waiting to have its atten-
ton called to this overwhelming oppor-
tunity?"
The loss of 500 0U men as the result If
the present warfare could be made good
in less than ten years through complete
abstinence from alcoholic beverages by
all the inhabitants of Russia" according
to Arthur Hunter, a New York actuary.
who reported to the convention Of the
Association of Life Insurance Presidents
here to-day some of the results of an ex-
haustive mortality investigation just COM
pleted by the life insurance companies
into 100000 insured lives in the past %
years.
Mr.. Hunter is chairman of the central
bureau of the medico- &C tuarial commit
tee which had charge Of the three AMI
one-half year inquiry. The investigation
dealt with the experience of 43 Of the lead
ing companies of the United States AMI
| Canada in a great many groups of in
sured persons supposed to have a higher
mortality than the average among insured
| lives While the fundamental object of
| the investigation was to aid the compan-
les in determining what risks in the fu-
ture should be accepted, rated up, or do
clined. MIR. Hunter said that the result
also could be utilized to lengthen human
| life.
Taking up some Of the specific results
of the investigation, Mr.. Hunter said
| Nothing has been more concluslvely
proved than that a steady free use OF
alcoholic beverages. or occasional ex-
| cesses, are detrimental to the individual
In my judgment, 1t has also been proved
beyond peradventure OF doubt that tota
abstaincrs live longer than persons who
use alcoholic beverages. Among the mer
who admitted that they had taken alcoho
| occasionally to excess H. the past. bu
| whose habits We're considered salts
factory when they were insured Their,
were $50 deaths, while there would have
been only 100 had this group been mad,
up of insured lives In general. The extra
mortality was, therefore, over 50 pei
cent. which was equivalent to a reduc
ton in the average life of these men Of
over four years
One OF the most significant results o
the Investigation, he said. was the hgl
mortality experienced among railroad
men. Among locomotive engineers N,
mortality was 50 per cent, In excess o
that among the insured as whole
which is equivalent to five years reduc
ton in the average lifetime.
There Is a general impression tina
saoonkeepers do NOT live as long AS per
sons in n-hazard JUS occupations" h
continued. "but it is not generally know
that most classes which are connected
with either the manufacture or sale o
LIQUOR have a nigh morality Amonj
saloon proprietors whether they attend
ed the bar or not there was an extr;
mortality, or 70 per cent; and the cause
Of death indicated that a free use o
alcohol beverages had caused many o
the deaths. In the IA subdivisions OF tn
trades connected with the manufactur
! or sale of alcohol, there was only on
class which had normal mortality an
that was the distillery proprietors"
|