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Show K DEATH RATE i DUE TO SOCIETY Hjl So Says Medical Journal In Discuss HV ' Ing War Upon Ravages Bjfl of Dltease bbbbbbbbm H; 1 1 A broad minded clergyman In his BBBJ fa Tuberculosis day sermon propounded HK, j this question and reached a conclu- m- slon decidedly negative, "God docs KJ mot flx tho death rato." Who docs V , then7 Wo all do. BBl i Thoso theologians aid high death 'V I I rates whb Ignore tho demonstrated BBl (acts of preventable dlscaso and h seek to perpctuato tho medieval sup- . erstltlon that Infections aro the Al- B I " mlghty's merited scourgo. Laymen BBM 1 1 who flout tho scientific proof tlint tu- BBB , barculosls Is curable and can bo clim- BBB Inatcd from human experience, or f,' -who dlsparago a tuberculosis propn- BBB i-anda as of no personal concern to B ; them, help to causo tho death of n H I !j consumptive ovcry thrco minutes In B i the United States. H j 1; Councils and legislatures which H j ) will not npproprlato funds sufTlclent H j I for the fight which health boards H fj would wago against tho great white BBBJ plaguo are largely responsible for tho B death of ten thousand n year, twon- H j ty-sovon deaths every day, In ono H j city alono. Thoso who disregard an- H tispitting ordinances and tho llko H ho'p to send tho death rato upward. BBBJ i j Housewives whoso culinary efforts H ' produce dyspeptics directly and BBBJ drunkards Indirectly glvo far moro BBBJ . Impetus to tho upward trend of tho H H death rato than most of us Imagine BBBJ Venders of "patent medicines," and BBBJ consumption cures who fleece- their H victims until tho latter havo passed BBB j far beyond tho incipient stago In HiJ which physicians could havo helped Bjj them such nostrum fakors havo a BBBJ full sharo of responsibility for tho H thousands on thousands of deaths v from tuberculosis throughout tho BBB country. Thoso who draw profit from BBB feeding the poor on adulterated food, BBB "rots and spots," and fowls dead In BBB storago soveral years back, havo a BBB similar responsibility for a hie a BBB death rato. H I Thoso who overwork women and BBB children in factories havo n heavy BBB sharo of responsibility for holding BBB , tho death rato at a high level; so al- BBB so do thoso employers who 'require BBB j men to work at danerous trades tin- BBB j dor intolerable conditions such as BBH i II tliceo which In some trades hold tho H j ! consmumptlon rnto above 80 per cent' BSVflii Houbo owners who provido dark, In- H 1 sanitary, pest ridden tenements havo K ' no little part in Increasing the denth Hjj I ra'o. Well meaning mothers, who be- '1 Hovo that they aro able to bring up Hi children in defiance of tho now fang- Bi led notions of hygiene spread by phy- BT slcians and visiting nurses help to BBBi keep tho death rate high. Most lm- BBBJ' portant of nil, Incompetent and care- BBBJ less doctors swell the death rate. BBBj For these the medical profession is BBBj directly responsible, whether they BBB are untrained men turned out by low BBB! grade medical schools, or members of H, tho profession who havo failed to BBB kcop up with Bclcntlfle progress and BBB who havo become incompetent BBB through inertia and laziness. All H these, by their carelessness, indlffor- BBMi enco and ignorance, Increase tho BBB ' death rate, which competent and con" BBS sclentloiiB physicians, sanitarians and BBT reformers aro lighting to lower. BKB Wo havo not the right to blamo a BBJ cruel deity for deaths which aro nc- BBJ tually due to cross, stubborn, lgnor- BIB nncc, Inhumanity and tho refusal to BBJ exerciso tho "common senso which Is BBJ also an Inspiration from tho Al- BBJ mighty." A weeping mother told a BBJ famous physician that It had pleased BBJ Providence to tako her baby from her. "Providence had nothing to do with tho. matter," replied tho physician: physi-cian: '-'it was bad milk that killed your baby. Wo cannot cscapo soino sharo of tho Joint responsibility of fixing tho death rate, but wo can chooso to bo on tho sldo of tho forces for-ces that aro bringing it down Instead of thoso that aro sending it up. Journal of the American Medical Association. |
