The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-07
The Longer Life
. a.s la. ADDaNWa0N nlsUOM

It used to be thought that the human life span is of an inyhriablA average duration, owing to the occUrrenee Of deaths at an unchAnging rate predetermined by forces be- yond the control of mankind. Now it is known that this fatalistic idea is without basis. in fact. rss- s. <y
 Where the average life-span remains sta. tionary, statistical. studies through many years have shown is only in those countries which are medically and hygienicaIly back. ward. Elsewhere there has been a steady and astonishing lenEthening of life.
 Thus, during the past hundred years the average Me-span in Amefica has heightened nearly fifteen years. In Europe it has dou. bled in length the past three and half cen turtles, the greater part of the gain being achieved the past fifty fears.
 It is during this same period that the greatest advances have been made in med. ical and sanitary science. The cause of dis. ease are now understood as they were mol at any previous time, new and suref meth ods of combating disease have been devised and, of particular importance, the safeguard. ing of community health has been made 6 special object of governmental action.
 To be sure, in, spite of Quarantines, milk inspection. food inspection, and other off, cial health-conserying activities, epidemics oi VtScAsc bLt&4 0SEuE at 4ulEFNulSy eAhlulnK many thousands of victims. But such epidemicf are of infrequent occurrence as compared with the plaques of earlier days. And the mortality of dire diseases of constant and widespread 0ceprrence--such as tuberculosis and diphtheria---has been markedly lessened
 Necessarily all this has improved the lf6x expectancy and heightened the life-span. sIt suggests, too, that an even greater lengthen. ing may be looked for, as science makes addi tional discoveries bearing on the factors in health and disease, and as the general public increasingly cooperate in, making personal application of sciences discoveries.
 This matter of personal application is in. deed of prime significance. One eminent au. thoFity on health conservation has not hes itated to express the belief that if people more generally could be brought to apply the health knowledge already possessed by science, another twenty years could he added to the average life-span even though not single new discovery were made.
 Carelesaness and ignorance are the two chief influences making for failure in per. sonal application. To overcome these re- It Is sign of splendid promise that today health education is vigorously carried on by most varied agencies.
 ANEWDpdIlCfS SCHSNOuaAE HAfG Ot Iu6lE HpHCe to spreading health information, health is taught in the schools. is emphasized by the churches. In a useful little book of recent issue, James A. Tobey's "The Quest for Health h"-purchasable in any book store for only thirty cents-are listed and described numerous organizations expressly established to promote public enlightenment regarding the prevention of this and that disease-condi- tiOn, from nervousness to cancer
 From these organizations literature can be obtained for nominal charge, sometimes free of charge. Important sources of health knowledge are also to be found in official health departments of states and municipal ities, as also in the public health service of the United States government.
 So that there really is no reason why any one should remain ignorant of health prin. ciples. the personal application of which tends automatically to that longer life which should be Gn' ideal for every individual as for every community.