The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1920-04-02
DID ADAM HAVE Every
KNOWN DISEASE?

Vital Statistics have recently re-
vealed most startling paradox. Judg-
ing from the recent epidemic of in
fiuenza it now seems that health Is
no longer an asset or an ideal condi-
ton. The healthy, robust and active
human body suffered o much higher
rate of mortality than did the weaker
invalid defective. In other words, it
would appear that the strong healthy
man succumbed more readily to the
influenza-pneumonia than did the
weak, sickly defective individual.
Does this mean that our high stand
ard of physically perfect human body
must give way to that which encour-
ages disease and sickness? An expla-
nation is in order.
We recall that as children we were
often Intentionally exposed by our
parents to such diseases as measles,
mumps and whooping cough because it
was thought that in childhood these in
fections were much less harmful than
In later life.
Some one has suggested that our pri-
meval forefather, Adam, attributed
his long life to the fact that he was
a host for every known human infec-
tion. This startling deduction is based
on the idea that every known human
Infection comes directly or indirectly
from some other human host. Hence
in the ultimate analysis old Adam is
caught with the goods.
I Poor old Adam, how he must have
suffered! How welcome death would
have been! But he lived, and each
disease stimulated more or less act
I've immunity. After brief span
OF hundred years or more he had
handed down to his children and grand
children every known or imaginary
infection. He then lived very happily
the remaining eight hundred years OF
his life. But his children considered
the price too great. Gradually the sue
ceeding generations began to resort
to one means or another to avoid the
painful experience of disease and now
we have with US a wonderful type OF
his life. With relentless glee influ-
enza pounces upon him and carried
him away, while his brother who has
suffered all his life with a multitude
of chronic ills, survives to bury his
children and his children's children
and is finally dried up by the wind
and blown away.
This is an ingenious explanation OF
our statistical paradox, but happily
absurd on the face of it!
Sane reasoning has suggested
much more plausible explanation.
When the great epidemic. struck us
we who were strong and robust, fly
ing the flag of false security, began
to concern ourselves with the safety
of the weaker ones. 1t never occur
red to the normal individual that he
himself was in danger. His good
health would protect him! He was too
busy to get sick, too busy hustling
the invalid, the weakling, the infan-
tile, the senile off to bed. Twas we'll
for them that he did. But what hap
pened to him? He who fought off the
first symptoms OF influenza and took
to bed from sheer prostration, he it
was who most readily succumbed. He
who feared to risk frail body and
fought it out in bed, he most fire.
Quently recovered.
We may not know the etiology OF
influenza, we may not understand its
laws of dissemination and transmits
sion, but certainly we have learned
to respect the old apothem: "Discre'
ton is the better part of valor."
GA. STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.