The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-08-16
Economic Loss From PreventabIe
Ailments Is Estimated at
Enormous Figure.
BASED on STUDY IN ILLINOIS
Influenza Epidemic Responsible fee
Economic Loss In Vital Assets OF
Approximately $1,000. ooo, 900
Health Means Money.

New York.-Economic loss In this
country from preventable diseases Is
estimated by American Medicine at
81, SOC, 100000 year. This conclusion
10 based on an elaborate study OF the
subject by Illinois Health News, which
shows that In 1918 in Illinois alone Ill
ness and death from such diseases en-
tailed a loss Of $24.67 for each man.
woman and child in the state. Although
the general death rate In Illinois was
at the low figure Of 14.2 per 1,0OO or
population, the loss from the prin-
cipal preventable diseases amounted
to SIS, sS1 ,eS5. or Col per cent OF the
total property value Of the state.
IF this ratio Of per capita cost"
American Medicine says. were to
apply for the entire United States
the loss during 1918 would amount to
more than $2,5OO,OOO.0O0. The Illinois
figures, however. merely considered
the cost Of the following communi-
cable diseases: Typhoid. malaria.
smallpox, measles, scarlet fever.
whooping cough, diphtheria, menin-
gifts, poliomyelitis. tuberculosis and
pneumonia.
"In computing the financial cost,
three items were involved: ~ The cost
Of funerals based at 500 for adults
and $50 for children: (2) the value OF
life lost at $4,000 for an adult and $500
for q child; (3) the cost Of care OF
those who recover. including medical
service for adults.
"Utilizing the same figures for the
few above-named diseases in a COM
putation on the basis Of the United
States mortality figures for 1916, the
death losses from these ten diseases
(poliomyelitis not included) amounted
to approximately S570, 100000 and the
losses due to medical care and wages
to approximately S1,O7S,0O0.
"The recent epidemic Of Influenza
involved at least ten million persons.
with q mortality Of approximately 400
600. Assuming that each case Of Ill
ness involved only $25 for medical
care. the cost would be $25O,OOO.OOO.
PestiIencs Adds Another Billion.
'Tnasmuch as the mortality from in
fluenza involved approximately three
persons of working age to one child,
one may consider the average loss by
death equivalent to $2,40O, and the
funeral expenses at $50. giving thus
total economic loss in vital assets OF
approximately 81. 000. 0oO.0 900. These hg
ures, large as they are, take no &C
count of the losses In production due
to the pestilence. nor. indeed. OF the
cost Of labor turnover due to the NOR
tality Of industrial workers.
These tremendous costs OF com
municable diseases may be regarded
in part IA an index Of the economic
efficiency Of communities 1t certainl!
does not reflect great interest OK care
in the conservation Of the assets O
the community to note the astonishing
destruction Of resources due to pre-
yentable communicable diseases.
1T is probably shock to the con
sentative thinker about economi
wastefulness to realize that the mum
Der Of industrial accidents reported t
the New York state Industrial com
I mission for the year 1917-1918 wa
2Se,S71, q number larger than the tota
casualties of our American army OF
Z cupied In the strenuous work Of cor
q quering a pitiless foe. 1t is Of the vi
most significance that war, with all 1t
atrocities, Is probably responsible fo
I little greater disease and disabilit
{ during the period Of greatest industrif
I activity than occurred during the o.
binary years of conditions refectin
normal Industrial activity.
Il Health Means Dollars and Cents.
I, Health must be estimated in term
g Of dollars and cents, in terms Of pr