News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-09-15

| Fundamental |
| Principles Of |
| HealthSz@o|
- 7
i! BY ALBERT S. GRAY, M. o. I
Copyright. 1914. by A. S. Cray
BRIGHT'S DISEASE.

Last year apr -imately 100000
Americans died from Bright's and
other disease of the kidneys.
Had a railroad wreck or a Titanic
disaster killed one-hundredth this num-
Der the world would gasp in horror
and the newspapers of the country
would be taxed to issue special
editions in sufficient number to meet
the public demand for information on
the subject, and senatorial or con-
gressional committees would be ap-
pointed to investigate the cause and
formulate preventive laws.
But because we are used to it and
because they are snuffed out only a
few at time we ignore this appalling
sacrifice of 100000 human lives and
take it as matter of course. And
the absurdity of this position is the
more startling when we know that
fully so per cent Of these deaths, or
10000, could be prevented or at least
postponed for many years with greater
ease and certainty than a Titanic dis
aster can be prevented.
Our stupidity becomes still more
| amazing in the face of the fact that
| deaths from these diseases are stead
| lily increasing at an abnormal rate, In
the vital statistics registration area,
now covering approximately 60 per
cent Of our population, deaths from
kidney diseases have increased 70 per
cent in 20 years and 20 per cent in the
last ten years.
Bright's and the allied diseases are
clearly diseases Of civilization; they
advance together They are the dis
eases of highly seasoned food, of drink,
of indolent habits of body and mind.
and. of mental strain"
| The 1910 census gave the United
States a. population increase of Fl per
| cent in the ten-year period between
| 1900 and 1910 and showed the rural
! population to number 81 per cent and
the urban population 46 per cent Of
| the whole.
Within this ten-year period the rural
| population increased only II per cent
while the urban population increased
| "a per cent, and this very material
change in the ratio between the pro-
duoeIs and the consumers Of the nsces-
| stiles. Of life mast become a powerful
factor in the hgaith of our people for
| two reasons first, becausey OF the
Change in proxiinity to food supplies.
Less fresh food is being consumed by
the increasing Numbers flowing into
our cities, and it is a self evident fact
that the longer food is held the greater
is the danger of contamination. Sec
ond, the increase in the ratio of con-
sumer to producer of the necessities of
life means perfectly logical increase
in the cost of the product, hence an
inevitable increase in the cost of liv-
ing and the worries incident thereto.
The subject of the preservation and
transportation of food is Of vast i'm
portance and is now receiving the at
tention of the federal and state au-
thorities, but it is a subject on which
the individual citizen must seek en-
lightenment If we are to make any
progress towards a. happier humanity.
AS increasing intelligence opens our
minds to a comprehension of the
causes underlying i'll health, particu-
larly of the gastric disturbances of
childhood, we learn that most of our
ills are due either to insufficient or
badly prepared and unclean food
rather than to any. excess in food
values or quantity.
The very prevalent sumner COM
plants" and other digestive troubles
Of childhood and of humanity in gen.
eral are traceable directly to a COM
mon cause-filth. High infant NOR
tally goes hand in hand with filth.
Food may be easily contaminated by
washing dishes and other containers
with polluted water, and fresh vege-,
tables, such as are eaten raw, are open
to the same danger from the use of
impure water on them. Dirty hands
and the general ignorant indifference
Of those handling and preparing food
materials; partly decomposed fruit,
vegetables and meat; flies on the but
ter, on the bread and il the milk, di-
rect from the stable or gutter; dust
from the street composed of finely
ground horse manure-all contribute
NlSAI QuObd VI MIN, anu IL Is lulS 6lS-
ment of things too small to be seen
that is allowed to accumulate on the
surface of foods, rather than the foods
themselves, that is the cause of many
of our troubles immediate and remote.
Undoubtedly in the near future it
will be conclusively demonstrated that
Bright's disease and the degenerative
diseases of the kidneys, heart, arteries
and brain In general, including apo
plexy, now assumed to be caused by
deranged metabolism, the diseases
now responsible for our heaviest and
a steadily increasing economic loss by
reason of the drain on the matured
lives of the nation, originate in the
mild infections" those insignificant
1ysenteries" arising from carelessness
In the matter of personal hygiene and
the saturation of the system with
-oxins from long continued ingestionN
Of toxic elements in dilute polluted
water and lco- matter in general