The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-05-18

One OF the many features OF the an.
nual convention OF the West Virginia
Medical association was public ad.
dress given last night AZ the Carroll
CluD auditorium by Dr. A. W. Free.
man, epidemiologist in the United
states public health service az Gin.
cinnati. A large crowd was present
and the topic of the speaker was BUY.
ing and Building Health" The meet.
ing was called 10 order by Or 4 :
Bosworth, OF ElklnS. Vice-president OF
the association. Dr. Freeman spoke
a. follows:
physicians and lsity alike regard
the, question OF health. both personal
and community, in much the same
manner as we now regard the weather
That Is as something in which We all
nave vital interest which affects our
comfort. happiness and prosperity IN a
very definite and positive way. but
which falls without rhyme or reason
on the just and unjust alike. and about
winch We may converse and complain.
but regarding which 10 IL useless 10
attempt TO take any steps 10 improve
. matters.
Buying Health.
Within certain well defined limits
any community can determine its own
death rate. In connection with Ger.
tain diseases. the amount Of reduc.
tons 10 be obtained from "A given eX.
penditure may be predicted with pre-.
clSion, in certain other sanitary en-.
deavors the amount Of reduction will
vary somewhat with local conditions.
but in any case II may be stated posi-.
uNely that any expenditure. intelli.
gently made, for the Improvement in
health conditions in a community will
produce definite and measurable re.
suits.
The first step in improving the
health OF any community. wherever
located. and under al conditions
should be the provision Of pure and
adequate supply Of water for domestic
Use. There Is no single expenditure
which can b. made by any municipal
ny which even approaches IN impor.
lance that necessary for a pure water
supply. In the conditions prevailing
IN this state. the use OF an impure
water is inevitably followed BY the
prevalence Of typhoid fever TO a degree
Tar IN excess Of that IN the country az
large. and 10 must he paid for i'm eXces :
OF the requirements OF decency and
Impure Water Responsible
Impure water Is sponSIble for tho
prevalence of definite diseases such as
typhoid fever. and OF certain diar.
rhoeas and dySenterieS. and i- In ad.
diuon responsible for much iU health
and premature death which 30 is i'm
possible 10 connect directly with the
water. but which disappears with the
coming Of good water Tho inevitable
I'~ull OF me installation ar "a pure
water supply along fhe Ohio River has
been tremendous reduction in Is.
phoid fever. an Improvement on tho
general health OF tho population and A
lowering OF tho general death rate.
more striking example OF pure
water cannot b. found than that az
forded by your sister cities. Cincinnati
and Pittsburgh. Both suffered ire
mendou~ly from typhoid fever as lonc
a. they continued 20 use untreated
ONO river water. With tho inStalis
ton Of suitable filtration plants. botf
cities saw an immediate drop IN theii
typhoid fever death rate
In Cincinnati tho year prior 10 m,
installation OF tho filtration plan'
there were approximately 5000 case,
Of typhoid with 2lU deaths The veal
following the filtration there we're 23'
cases and 80 deaths Last wear l4'
cases and % deaths Cincinnati D.
saving about $500 cases and Is,
deaths from typhoid every year and "a.