Evening star., 1933-02-15
BY WILLIAM FIELDING OGBURN,
Research Director, Presidents Committee or
Recent Social Trends.

Ia V1AAAA1N ooDSAsANt
Research Director, Presidents Committee Of
Recent Social Trends.
(written for the Associated Press)
A baby born today will live ON the
average expectation So years. The eX.
pectation for a baby born in 1900 was
that it would live to be 35 years Of age
The length of life has increased about
two-thirds.
This has been made possible by con
quering one disease after another We
know enough now to stamp out malaria
hookworm, social diseases and tubercu-
losis If we spend the money and organ.
ize properly to do it.
On the other hand, we do not know
enough to stamp out the degenerative
diseases of the kidneys, Of the circula-
tory system, and cancer. many of which
set in late in middle life. For a per-
son who has reached As or so years of
age the expectancy for longer life is
about the same as it was several gen.
erations ago.
So many diseases, however, have
yielded to research since the time of
Pasteur that hope cannot be denied.
Increasing Health Is Task.
There is not only the problem of re-
ducing disease and of postponing death,
but there is the task of increasing the
abundance of good health. There is q
difference between the absence of Ill
health and, the presence of buoyant
health.
Good feeding in infancy and the
avoidance of illness in childhood are
first steps in program of more vigor-
Gus health. These two things are, per-
haps, most responsible for our increased
stature.
Another reasonably sure way to i'm
prove our health would be to raise our
standard of living, for the poor have
higher death and disease rates than the
wellto-do City dwellers do not yet
have as good health in general as coun-
try folk. The growing number of seden-
tary occupations indoors must also be
an influence, counteracted in part by
the growing participation in outdoor
sports.
Another important factor is the in
creasing knowledge of the chemical
nature of food and the mineral needs
of the body.
Women Outlive Men.
The expectancy of life for women, de-
spite the hazards of child bearing
(Which are unduly large in our coun-
N.Y., ID ElCdJCI tlldu tIldJ VI lIlcIl. ~
seems probable that this is due to the
nature of mans occupations.
Specific occupational diseases and
the general industrial wear and tear on
life are problems to be dealt with.
The problem of illness is as well ap-
preciated as that Of any social prob
lem by our people, and as much effort
and money go into it as into our other
efforts toward ameliorating our lot. Yet
It must be included in list Of 10 major
problems. The effort and appreciation
are still not enough, though.
Herbert Spencer in attempting to ap-
praise the educational program conclud-
ed that of all knowledge that most
worth having was knowledge about
health, and also that the first requisite
Of life was to be healthy animal.
Tomorrow: 'How Many Americans. and
What Kind?" For the first time in history
the number of people is subject to control,
says Prof. Ogburn. Numbers affect markets,
wages. labor supply, wars. real estate
Another question concerns their distribu-
tion in cities or along the countryside The
quality of population Is as important as
quantity Shall the population of the fu.
ture come more largely from morons and
defective stock or from the superior indi-
viduals?. The people of America should have
z well thought-out population policy, Prof.
Ogburn Says in his next article.
(CopyHght, 1888, by The Associated Press.)