Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-12-01
When Dissase,, Are At Their Worst:

Wnen DLSaiSez- Are AT Their Worst.
Medical s1ierce has a COUNTERPART
for the poetic "Seven Ages Of Man" II
was evolved by John S. Fulton, Nary
land health officer, and it relates 10 the
health OF man, no, the philosophy e his
development. But DR.. Fulton, sho
calls the ages "r'odal points," believes
it will be Of considerable value in
preventive work ii identifying the ages
Of greatest danger from disease.
DIR. Pulton's work, which his col
leagues regard as more comprehen-
sive than any similar study, outlines
the relation Of infectious diseases TO
age. The new Seven ages" are con-
centrated in Ire periods c. childhood
| and youth. whereas Shakespeare en-
braced the spsr Of mans existence, tut
this is beca,r.c Or. Fulton has found
that the early Yeas of life are tre time
Il greatest d,Tser.
At the SAME time DR.. Fulton has
worked Out die citation between ,om-
municablc d. eases and the calendar
year, showing G. the day whe9 :hey
normally take ter heaviest toll, now
the "waves" rise and fall, and, broadly
speaking, the y crhs to which tney are
confined Dr. Fulton outlined his -prk
ut the convention of the America Pub
lie Health Association last week.
In the age table, based urca -ee-
ords of from $1,000 to 5000 case
records. Dr. Fulton shows tha: the
first age i. th,t of whoopinc cough
The ERODE" or time when the great
est number Of cases occur, is AZ two
| and half year, The median, ~ age
at which. Ur.lr,f the cases have &C.
CURED, is at Al years, and the mean,
or period Of average frequency. is SO
years. Onc+sIf of 1871 cases &C.
Cured between the ages of six months
and 5.02 year. "Iost the deaths from
whooping conGh occur far earlier, the
mortality being greatest at slightly less
than six montilI One-half of al tho
deaths come before the age Of II
months.
In the second age, that of dipttreria,
the number OF cases is largest at SOL
years, and One-haif the cases occur ce-
fore the age Of T6S. Mortality is high
eft at l.2 ycars Scarlet fever is most
Common at G42 and has its heaviest
mortality Al I22
While the prevalence Of the 5!s-
eases is dcCI,rirg somewhat, The nu-
man being encounters the greatest
danger from mcasles at six and !. half
years of age More cases result fatal
y at Is month. than at any othe- time.
Chickenpos .. G'ost common al seven
years. Ose half the cases occu. re.
tween the age. of four and a rali and
nine and = half years.
After this, The greatest liability 10
communicable disease shifts to the &c.
Rod OF youth tcHuenza is mos: pre-
Vaient at II ycaes and three months,
ard onehaif the Uorbidity is recorded
between 81 and 267 years. The
largest nHober OF fatal cases come at
the age Of 14H years.
Typhoid i. more common a, 1854
years than At aay other time. One
haif the ca.cs occur between e.ls and
25.4 years. Martality is heavies, a, p
ycars and ) ,Esaths.
The infectious organism, being a
plant. acts like Other plants in reeuir-
ing Temperature. soil and lign,. DR.:
Fulton say. Hence, "like roses and
wheat" it hs. kind of calendar Of
its own
Cne-haif the cases Of measles DC.
cur between March S and May IS. ac
coedlng to Dr Fuiton's tables, and the
h'gtr poiot i. reached about April H..
Scarlet fevef, viii, high record about
February Q. hss one-half its morbidity
between December IL and April 10.
Whoopins cough produces two
crops" rca-Iius "major mode"
July 9 ari ",rinor mode" about
February 10 TTs mortality also has
two high p1'c5,. which, according 10
' or. FultOU al ,vIation are ahout 81