The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-03-12
Ky F. F. CLAXroN roNOst, diversity of Alabama


 In 1920 there were in the state of ] directly to diseases that might easily
 have been prevented by proper sani- ! tation and the application of health 1 laws well known and easily taught and applied. There were not less 1 than two-thirds as many deaths from [ other diseases whose fatality was 1 due to the weakened and depleted | condition of the patients system i which had been caused by diseases 1 that might have been prevented i through general understanding and application of sanitary laws. A to- | tai of 1000 deaths from both causes. There were not less than 150,oO0 cases of such diseases from which
 the patients did not die. but from
 which after time they recovered more or less perfectly. They re- covered. but after much suffering, great expense for medical attention and nursing, and still greater loss in time and energy which should have been available for productive oecupa- tions. These 15o.000 cases do not ln- clude cases of hook worm infection of which there were not less than, but very probably many more than $50 0OO,-making total of 500,O00 cases of preventable diseases from which patients did not die.
 The cost in pain and grief and sor- TOW, in loss of zest in life and lifes interests. and in loss of progress in civilization can not be measured. The money costs, however. may be estimated. with fair degree of ac- curacy.
 The average economic value of a human life is frequently put at s5.OOO. At this estimate the economic loss from 5000 unnecessary deaths is $25,000,000 Counting s100 as the average cost of medical attendance and nursing and loss of time and energy of the 50o,0 cases of dis cases not resulting in death, again a low estimate. we have from this source total loss of S50. .000 000 The total loss. therefore, from illness and death from these preventable dis eases is not less than $75,000 000-a loss which will be prevented when the people have been sufficiently awakened to the possibilities of pro- lection and informed as to it's methods and when there are in the state enough well trained sanitar- ians to make the application of sani- tary laws effective.
 To train such sanitarians in sui fnient numbers for Alabama and other southern states is the purpose of the Gorgas School of Sanitation to be established and maintained at Tuscaloosa in connection with the University of Alabama. Let us sup pose the school established and in successful operation and the state making full use of the results of the work. Five thousand men, women and children will be alive at the end Of the year who would otherwise have fallen in the silence and dark ness of death. Five hundred thou sand cases of illness and depletion of energies will have been avoided. That nnmber of men. women and children will have lived through the year well and strong and rejoicing in life and in the productive work of life who would otherwise have been sick and have lived on a lower plane of energy, productive capacity and life interests; s75,Ooo, 900 wiil have been saved to the wealth and wealth producing power of the state. wealth either to be added to states capital and sum of accumulated wealth or to be consumed by peo- pie living on higher plane.
 In decade the number of lives saved from deaths will amount to 5o,o00 or more-a great, army of happy and healthy men, women and youths still breathing the upper air and rejoicing in the sunshine of life and half million years of human life will have been lived in health and joy without unnecessary sick ness and depletion of strength. ToJ the wealth and wealth producing prower of the state will have been saved in the decade $750, ,00O, 900, an amount equal to fourth the present wealth of the state, and thousand times the amount which the state is now asked to subscribe to insure the establishment and maintenance of this School of Sani-