South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-07-01

The results corroborated quite closely our
modern estimates and working averages.
From forty-fve to ffty-hve per cent of the
deaths were reported as directly due to in
fictitious diseases from fifty to sixty-fve per
cent of all the cases admitted to the hospi-
tails were Of an infectious nature, while from
sixty to seventy-fve per cent of all illnesses,
for which sick benefits were claimed, were in
fections.
So that, taking it broad and large we are
clearly justified in saying that at least two
thirds of all diseases are Of infectious origin
and the statement which we have been in
the habit of making that three-foGrths of
all our diseases are preventable, is not far
wide of the mark Especially since as will
be noticed, the larger the number of mild
and non-fatal diseases included in the group
the higher becomes the percentage due to
Infections The commonest Of all diseases,
cold, coughs, sore threats, catarrhs are now
known to be infectious.
Wherever there is germ there is risk of
its being passed on and, with few excep-
tions, like cholera and part of typhoid,
through the water supply, nearly all in
fectiOns are transmitted chiefly by direct
personal contact. The chief cause of illness
in yourself is some sick human" that you
have brushed against or snapped breaths
pletely as possible, anyone who is sick or
looks sick, especially if they are sneezing or
snuffling or coughing, still more if they are
relieved and broken out''-unless, of
course, you can be Of help to Them and
avoid, scrupulously such indirect possible
contacts as common towels, public hair
brushes, unwashed glasses and cups to say
nothing of swapping gum or exchanging
pencils, you will sidestep at least third if
not half of your chances of illness
This is true most fully Of childhood and
the earlier decades of adult life But what
of the various chronic states of ill-health
and chronic diseases, or degenerations as
they are sometimes termed, which bulk so
largely In our prospects of disaster or dis
ability in middle and later middle 'lifef
Surely chronic dyspepsia, and Bright's dis
ease of the kidneys and hardening of the
arteries. and heart disease, and the paralysis
are not catching"
No more they are, but we have had some
remarkable new light on the cause and ma
ture of these chronic diseases Of middle age
within the last ten fifteen years.
The clammy diseases of middle life and Of
advancing age are hangovers from the hot
infections of youth, from scarlet fever and
measles and diphtheria, from typhoid and
tuberculosis and pneumonia, etc. Our ur-
gent advice now is, avoid every appearance
of evil that is, infection" in childhood
and youth not merely on account Of their
immediate danger. but also for the sake of
escaping most of the chronic diseases. the
cripplings. the pains and penalties of later
life and of premature death Those OF us
who are past fOrty-five may not be able to
prevent these conditions for ourselves. but
we can for our children.
But our responsibility, our sense of guilt
for illness by no means stops short with the
infections and failure to avoid them. In
deed, the causes of large share of the dis
eases which have little TO do with infection
are even more clearly and definitely subject
to our control. Next most prominent after
Copyrig
* yV