The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1920-01-14

cause. The total for the five years
was 107 babies and AZ adults, or 149
persons in all. These diarrheas are
preventable through the same means
as is typhoid fever, Hence there oc-
ours in your county an average of As
deaths per year or total of 224
deaths during the past five years from
typhoid fever, diarrhea, dysentery,
and enteritis. All of these diseases
are due to the violation of funda-
mental sanitary laws. 1t is signifi-
cent of the Importance of diarrhea
and enteritis that it caused 23 times
more deaths under years of age
than occurred in all ages from meas
les, whooping cough, scarlet fever,
and diphtheria.
Hookworm Disease:
When this Bureau of the State
Board of Health was first established
a campaign for the relief of hook
wofm disease was conducted in your
county. This campaign was most
successful, resulting in the examina-
ton of '4811 persons, 2702 of whom
were found to be infected. All but
one of these persons were given
treatment, and hence many persons
previously much below par physically,
and many Of whom were half sick all
the time, were either cured entirely
or materially benefited.
Unfortunately the Bureau was
handicapped by the lack of funds and
no measures for permanent protec-
tion from fthis serious disease could
be Instructed. Hence many reinfec-
tions have occurred and initial exami-
nations by the Director in charge of
work in your county indicate that
there is at present about 50%S to
500 of the children and young adults
afflicted by this disease, which is
both a killing" disease and one that
very seriously predisposes to other
killing diseases, such as tuberculosis,
pellagra, or indeed any diseae depend
pent partly upon lowered vitality. /
believe it to be important to present
the facts regarding this disease to
your court, for it is my positive opin-
ion that no single other disease con-
stitutes the serious menace to the
health and financial welfare of the
county as does this easily preventable
and easily durable infection.
Other Preventable Causes of Death:
An average of 65 babies per year
die before reaching their first birth
day. This means 325 babies for the
past five years, and in addition ia
others were born dead during this
period. This is significant in that it
shows with what difficulty, under
present conditions, baby passes over
the dead line and also that it indicat-
es something of permanent stamp of
physical defect left upon two or three
times as many other babies who
somehow manage to crawl over this
infant dead line. 1t is manifestly
the duty and privilege of the present
citizen to protect the welfare of the
future citizen, since that citizen is at
present unable to protect himself.
Eighty-four other children died
during this period of the acute infec-
tious diseases of childhood, all of
which are relatively preventable.
One hundred and ninety-two per-
sons died of tuberculosis during the
past five years, and beyond doubt
many of these deaths were materially
helped by hookworm disease.
Pneumonia assumed it's usual place
OF Importance by causing 228 deaths.
Compare this major cause of death
with the deaths of infants under one
year, however, and we find nearly 100
more helpless babies under one year
old died than the total of all deaths
from pnumonia. These figures ap-
ply to the five-year period.
Pellagra must also be considered
for it is known to have caused 16
deaths in Blount county in the past
five years. AS has been stated it is
markedly predisposed to by hook
worm disease.
Further analysis seems unneces-
sary for the facts herein presented
offer opportunity for much serious
thought, and to one interested in the
welfare of his people must present de-
finite proof of the necessity for earn
est effort looking to the solution of
these major problems in the county's
health and welfare.
A survey of limited number of