OCR Text |
Show THE HEALTH OF THE AMERICAN FARMER That the American farmer during early middle life is less subject to certain of the so-called degenerative diseases than are the workers in other ' occupations was revealed in a study recently completed by the Research Division of the Milbank Memorial Fund. This study is based on the records of the physical examinations of 100,-1 100,-1 000 adult, native-born, white males. Those examined were classified under four broad occupational groups agricultural, ag-ricultural, professional, business and 1 skilled trade. The prevalence of the ' physical defects in the various groups ' were tabulated according to the occupation oc-cupation and ages. Diseases of the heart and arteries, outstanding among the degenerative diseases, were found to be less prevalent preval-ent among the farmers than among all the other groups. In the younger J age periods, from 20 to 45, diseases of . the valves of the heart are markedly . less prevalent among agricultural workers than anjong either the professional, pro-fessional, business or (skilled trade , groups. After 45, however, valvular heart lesions become more prevalent among agrciultural workers so that , their rates are exceeded only by those prevailing among the skilled trades. Even more marked is the difference in the prevalence of arterial thickening, thicken-ing, both slight and advanced. In the agricultural group this condition is substantially less prevalent ' than among the other groups. Defects of vision are much less common among farmers . than among other workers. The skilled trades group stands out as even more subject to defective hearing, than agricultural agricultur-al workers, or professional of business busi-ness groups. The farmers worst showing is in the diseases of the teeth and gums. ' Pyorrhea and diseased teeth are more prevalent among farmers than among I1 the other groups, particularly in those over 35 years of age. |