The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-03-12

I'D
{ and wealth that there has been mol
time TO conside such things But vel
are coming to realize the rnonetaryl
value Of human life and that we rnnstl
tackle this problem OF health in West!
Virginia 4nse bEs:..esslike way.
The bulletin. of the West Virginia
state board OF health contains an adj
dress given by Or. Golden, PRESIDENT
!!of the board, present ting our health
situation In a very convincing way
| and I am going to read parts from 1T.
Our Public Health Is Unsatisfactory.
AT the very outset OF a discussion. Of
our public Meath a fairs am handi-
capped by the fact that no figures are
available BY which could clearly
Client sanitary and hygientc cond itions
and their consequences. West Vir-
1 ginla is not In the registration area OF
1.-THE United States. We have q law
providing for vital statistics, but we!
have no vital statistics worth the
name. This law as well as q mum Der
! OF others pertaining to public health
seems to have been placed In our code!
more for the sake OF literary COM
Epleteness than for practical benefit
The machinery provided for the gath
lering Of vital statistics is utterly in
adequate. Vital statistics is the
science Of numbers applied to the life
history Of states and nations. The
icompilation Of accurate records OF
births, deaths, diseases and accidents
I is the indispensable first step in any
serious effort to prolong life and
I "a off aS A hoo SNvaI
| department Of health without vital
statistics is like an army engaged IN
war without scouts and spies to as
certain the number and position of
the eneny's forces, their arms and
supplies and their plan OF attack
| Says DR.. Wilbur: Sound vital sta
tistics are the indispensable basis OF
modern sanitation. a nation thatf
does not consider 1t necessary or is
not able to provide adequate means
for registering the births Of it's own
children or for officially recording
the deaths Of its citizens can hardly
be supposed to attach sumcient value
i to human life to enable sanitary
measures for. its conservation to be
| adequately carried OUT
birth rate and death rate? We don't
Know. What is the average duration
know. Have$we any figures for exact
comparison with other states OF the
fnumber of the insane and the defec-
l tive? We have not. Have we the
lexact figures to shaw the mum Der ns
cases ofstubGrcu1osis, typhoid fever.
tIneumonia. cancer, scarlet fever AMI
isimilar serious diseases? We have
mot. However, While exact figures
ARE not availa b1e.sl those of5us who arc
1 officially and otherwise IN touch with
these matters have q correct, though
icnly approximate, idea of the status
tof our vital assets. And I feel justi-
Ehed in saying to you that the dura-
ftfon of life In West Virginia is not
las long as it should be; and moreover,
lit is not as long as 1t is in neighbor-
ling states Of like physical environ
iment. Were it not for the constant
stream of immigration incident to our
industrial development, this fact
would have become strikingly evident
to anybody. We have too many
deaths from preventa BILE diseases
Our conditions in Clarksburg are
lust about as unsatisfactory as in the
state. Not long agosI visited the clerk
Of the county court to get some sta
tistics and see the records OF births
land deaths in our county and am
convinced of the ineficiency of
them. Although a Zee of INVENTIVE
cents is paid for every birth and death
1 reported and a supposed fine OF $10l
! Imposed for the neglect Of It, many
1 are not reported. The deputy In. the
lcunnty clerks office told me they
were not responsible for enforc ementl
of he law 1t is the duty of the pros
ecuting attorney, and of course he
does not know whether they are re-
ported or not. Some physicians here
| have admitted that they do not report
deaths but leave it to the und ertak-
ers. Inssome states an undertaken is
not allowed to bury a person without.
a certificate from physician or cor
oner. Here they may be reported By
even a member of the family or friend
Tor neighbour. Foul play is easy under
such circumstances. The cause Of
| death is also given by them which
Eaccounts for the indefinite causes in
1.-The register such as liver or stomach
trouble, or more common still com
Eplications.''
Death certificates tell the mod rn
i health officer just what are the chief
Weaknesses In his sanitary arrange
ments. Too many cases of typhoid
point to a bad water supply, to an in
ladequate sewerage system or to pol
.tllutel milk "A large number of deaths
from tuberculosis points out a distinct
! health policy to the community and
tells definitely whether the facilities
4 at hand are sufficient to cope with the
1sItuation Today no community can
properly safeguard the health Of It's
l5peoples If it has not at hand accurate
and cortplete statistics of sickness
land DEATH
We have some laws but we o not