Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 168, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 July 1919 — Page 2

DISEASE COSTS BILLIONS A YEAR

Economic Loss From Preventable Ailments Is Estimated at Enormous Figure. BASED ON STUDY IN ILLINOIS Influenza Epidemic Responsible for Economic Loss In ■ Vital Asset? of Approximately $1,000,000,000 —Health Means Money. New York.—Economic loss in this country from preventable diseases is estimated by American Medicine at $2,500,000,000 a year. This conclusion Is based on an elaborate study of the subject by Illinois Health News, which shows that in 1918 in Illinois alone illness and death from such diseases entailed a loss of $24.67 for each man. woman and child in the state. Although the general death rate in Illinois was "Mt the low figure of 14.2 per LOGO of population, the loss from the prin-j cipal preventable diseases amounted ; to $15,881,685. or G.Of per cent of the I total property value of the state. “If this ratio of per capita cost." American Medicine says, . “were to . apply for the entire United States the loss during 1918 would amount to more than $"500,000,000. The Illinois figures, however, merely considered the cost of the following communicable diseases r —Typhoid, malaria, smallpox, measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough, diphtheria, meningitis, poliomyelitis, tuberculosis and pneumonia. “In computing the financial cost, three Items were Involved-: (1) The cost of funerals based at SIOO for adults and SSO for children; (2) the value of life lost at $3,000 for an adult and SSOO for a child; (3) the cost of citYe of those who recover, including medical service for adults. "Utilizing the same figures for the few above-named diseases in a computation ob» the basis of the I nited States mortality figures for 1910, the death losses from these ten diseases (poliomyelitis not included) amounted to approximately $570,000,000 and the losses due to medical care and wages to approximately $1,078,000. “The recent epidemic of Influenza Involved at least ten million persons, with a mortality of approximately 400,000. Assuming that each case of illness .involved only $25 for medical care, the cost would be $250,000,000. Pestilence Adds Another Billion. “Inasmuch as the mortality from influenza Involved approximately three persons of working age to one child, one may consider the average loss by death equivalent to $2,400, and the funeral expenses at sl*o, giving thus a total economic loss ip vital assets of approximately $1,000,000,000. These figures, large as they are, take no account of the losses in production due to the pestilence, nor. Indeed, of the cost of labor turnover due to the mortality nf Industrial workers. These tremendous costs of communicable diseases may be regarded in part as an index of the economic efficiency of communities. It certainly does not reflect great interest or care in the conservation of the assets of the community to note the astonishing destruction of resources due to preventable communicable diseases. •’lt is probably a shock to the conservative thinker' about economic wastefulness to realize that the number of industrial accidents reported to the New York state industrial commission for the year 1917-191 S was 286.871, a number larger than the total -casualties of our American army occupied in the strenuous work of conquering a pitiless foe. It is of the utmost significance that war. with all its atrocities, is probably responsible for little greater disease and disability during the period of greatest Industrial activity than occurred during the ordinary years of conditions reflecting normal industrial ictivity. Health Means Dollars and Cents. "Health must be estimated in terffis of dollars and cents, in terms of pro-

Part of a front line American sector south of Keims. All activity is gone so far as martial duties concerned. The Yankee lads are “taking it easy," and amusing themsel res in various ways while awaiting the or (to entrain for home. ’ ’ ‘ v

ductlvity in order to reach the conscience of the average taxpayer, who must be called upon to defray the expenses of health departments and to meet the increased costs laid upon industry by virtue of the economic losses entailed through siAness and death. The economic value merits greater attention particularly at this time, when every effort is being made to secure' the rehabilitation of the wounded and to Increase the vigor ami potential power of those who have suffered from disease while pursuing their course as part of the military or naval forces of the nation. “It must not be forgotten, however, that similar problems are of equal importance in connection with the everyday living of the growing nation, now bent upon renewing national prosperity and raising the standards of health, comfort ami prosperity for all the types of citizens which comprise the nation."

Mrs. Virginia Reeves Harris Warner, known as the “kissless bride.’ is having no particular trouble annuling her secret marriage to the youth who told her that “he pitied married people who had children," and that he didn’t care for her any more. Warner visited his young bride, who was still known as Miss Harris, several times after their marriage, but for fear somebody would find they were married they did not even kiss, but when she was willing to live with him on $l5O a month she says he refused to allow her to do so. When he admitted that he did not ckre for her Miss Harris told her parents and the untying of the knot began. The bride is popular in society in both Washington and Philadelphia, being the stepdaughter of Commander Archibald L. Parsons, of the Philadelphia navy yard.

WANTS TO END COUNTY JAILS

Philanthropist Receives $30,000 for National Campaign With That Object. New* York.—Adolph Lewisohn. was 70 years old. so he gave a garden party at his country home at Ardsley. The party was combined with a meeting of the national committee on prison reform, and $30,000 was presented to Mr Lewisohn by friends for a national campaign winch the committee will soon begin for the abolishment of the county jail. Hundreds of friends of Mr. Lewisohn motored up from the city to pay their compliments to the philanthropist. Mr. Lewisohn said that fully 65 per cent of the men in county,jails today are innocent.

AWAITING THE WORD TO START FOR HOME

THE “KISSLESS BRIDE”

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER. IND.

Canada Expropriates Luxburg’s Gold Coin

Halifax.—German gold coin* formerly owned by Count von Luxburg, who figured tn vthe "gink without trace” notes which passed between Berlin and’the German embassy ih Arwere ordered expropriated and turned over to the Canadian government ax prize money, in the admiralty prize court here. The steamer which carried the count back to Geemany several months ago put ii* hero, and the money was seized at that time. There were thirteen 20-mark pieces and eighteen 10-mark coins.

BATS ARE WELCOME IN TEXAS

State Passes Law Protecting Them as Killprs of Mosquitoes and Malaria. New Orleans. —“Malaria can be eliminated. The rfiosquito alone is responsible. The surest method of ridding the earth of mosquitoes is propagating the bat.” These are .the words of Dr. Charles A. IL Campbell, mosquito exterminator and protector of the bat. He is the originator of the only municipal bat roost in the world, nt San Antonio. Tex., which will accommodate 250,000 bats, and already has about 35.000 guests. Through the efforts of Dr. Campbell the chy of San Antonio passed, June 8. 1914, an ordinance prohibiting the killing of bats, and on March 10, 1917, Texas passed the first law’ in the world which protects the bat. Since the erection of the municipal bat roost at San Antonio and the original bat roost built by Doctor Campbell at Mitchell lake malaria has practically disappeared from the territory.

FATHER, 13 SONS, ARE SLAIN

Two Daughters in French Family Also Killed by Germans —Remarkable Record of War. Paris. —Thirteen sons killed on the field of battle, three discharged with grave injuries, one w’ounded four different times, the father and one daughter summarily shot by the Germans for going to Lille to celebrate the centennial anniversary of a relative, and another daughter killed by a German shell at Dunkirk, is the record of the family of M. Vanhee, a French farmer of Reminghe, near Ypres. , M. Vanhee had 36 children, 22 sons and 14 daughters, all of whom were living when the war broke out. One of his sons was valet to Pope Pius X; he returned to France to fight and was wounded in each of four different engagements. One of the sons lost both legs, another returned from the front blind and deaf, and another underwent the trepanning operation.

EIFFEL TOWER ‘DEMOBILIZED’

Will Be Accessible to Tourist Visitors for the First Time Since War Began. Paris.—The Eiffel tow’er has joined the ranks of the demobilized, its military job being ended, although its wireless telegraph station will be maintained and indeed strengthened to make it equal to the German post at Nation. It will be accessible to tourist visitors after being unapproachable for. more than four years. During the war a dozen machine guns were mounted on the highest platform as protection against air attacks. On the first platform were fourinch guns and searchlights, and later a powerful siren to give warning against air raids.

Needle in Her Body.

Concordia, Mass.—A surgical needle that has been in her body for more than twenty years has never given Mrs. F. J. Hannum of this city trouble until recently. The needle was removed by a physician after Mrs. Hannum had suffered severely with cramps in the leg until the needle was found.

SCENE AT REVIVED LEIPSIC FAIR

This year, for the first tune since life war started, the fatuous annual Leipsic fair was held. The photograph shows the throngs viewing the exhibits in Peter street.

WOULD NOT FIGHT THOUGH A HERO

Conscientious Objector Now Under Guard Is Loved by His Fellows. BRAVERY ON BATTLE FRONT Attended the Wounded and Saved the Fighting Men While the Battle Raged—His Fellows Declare He Deserves the D. S. C. New York. —Richard Stierheim Is under guard at Camp Dix as a conscientious objector who refused to bear arms in France. Yet companions who fought by his side in the 79th division vow that Stierheim is one of the bravest «men in the entire division. Stierheim is a member of Company D, 315th infantry. He lives in Ingomar, a small town, some miles north of Pittsburgh. He is twenty-seven years old, stands 6 feet 1 in his stocking feet, and is built on massive lines. “The best boy in the division,” is the unanimous verdict of every man in the organization when Stierheim is mentioned. He is the best dugout builder, the best ammunition bearer, a Gungha Din, nurse, and numerous other things. “Dick” Stierheim has no warmer friends than his companions at Camp Dix, who now are awaiting discharge from the army. When seen at Camp Dix by a reporter for The World, Stierheim was the perfection of modesty, reticence, and other kindred virtues. Only by a most rigorous third degree was it possible to extract Ims story from him. Stierheim wks drafted while he was working in the Sparrows Point shipyard near Baltimore. For the greater part of his 27 years he has followed his trade of carpenter He was sent to Camp Meade, Maryland, find there trained for service. He drilled with the rest of the men and went with them to the rifle range. At last the regiment sailed for France. “I Object to All Wars.”

“I drilled with a rifle over there for • two days,” Stlerheim said, “and then I decided to have the courage of my convictions and not handle a r’fle any longer. And from that day to this I have been under guard. I think I am. still technically under guard, but I am not certain. “I do not claim any connection with any religious creed. I was born and reared a Roman Catholic, but I do not claim to be a member of that church now. I attended services when I was at home because my father and mother wanted me to. I have not gone to church since entering the army. “I do believe in God and I believe In the Bible. That book contains ten commandments, one of which forbids the killing of your fellowman. “And then a lot of rulers get together and say ‘To hell with the Ten Commandments!’ And they go ahead and do as they please. I object to all wars. I object as much to the United States making war upon Germany as I do tg Germany making war upon the United State*. There is no distinction. “They Thought I Was ‘Yellow.’" “They thought I was ‘yellow’ when I would not fight, but-1 think I have proved to them that I was not. But still I didn’t de anything woriji talking about.” Deeds of most extraordinary heroism are accredited to Stlerheim during his days in France. He deserted his company a short time after his arrival in France. He admitted when brought before a courtmartial that he had done so. “Then they caught me. I was headed for Spain, and when I was courtmartialed I told ' the officers so. I pleaded guilty, and told, them why I had deserted? That was all there was to it. It has hot interested toe enough to bother to get a copy ofthe charge*

.or the record of the trial. Now it is up to the authorities, and I do not know what my present standing is.” Just before one of the great drives', Stierheim escaped fropi his guard and was shot at twice. He returned of his free will, however. “You see, I was afraid I might get the guard into trouble. I had made up my mind that I wanted to get away. The guard had orders to shoot to kill. I had warned him that I was going to make a break, and if he was a good shot I probably wouldn’t get away. He fired at me twice, and each time he came pretty near getting me. When I decided to turn back I was two miles away from my company. I could have gone a great deal further, and would probably have been able to get away entirely without much difficulty. “But the army regulations are that the guard takes the place of the prisoner that escapes from him.” "He Deserves the D. S. C." His fellow's all declare that Stierheim deserves the Distinguished Service Cross and all kinds of honors for his bravery under fire. When they talk in this mood he registers impatience and irritation, his attitude being: “Don’t talk about what I’ve done; the ones that did something should get the honors.” With shells bursting everywhere, machine guns sputtering lead on every I side, men falling wounded and dying, Stierheim, the man who refused to fire a shot because of religious scruples, exposed himself through it all,

SPHAGNUM MOSS HEALS WOUNDS

American Professor Taught Its Use to Armies Fighting in Europe. ’ ADOPTED BY THE RED CROSS Is Far Superior In Many Ways to Absorbent Cotton as a Dressing— Used for Centuries in Scotland and Ireland. New Haven. —In an interview with George E. Nichols, professor of botany in the Sheffield Scientific school of Yale university, new facts were brought out concerning the use of moss in surgical dressings during the war. Prof. Nichols was botanical adviser for the American died Cross and did more than any other individual io introduce the use of sphagnum moss into the American medical profession 1 for surgical purposes. In Europe this moss has been used for many years in surgery, but nevfer before in this country. In Connecticut atone there are twenty-five different kL?ds of sphagnum and on the North American continent there are at least forty. Of these forty only two or three are actually used. Adopted by Red Cross. DurlUg the. war Dr. Nichols made extensive studies of various regions where sphagnum is found and explained methods of collecting and of making it into dressings, and dfi March, 1918, the American Rep Cross officially adopted this moss. Since that date out- Red -Cross has turned out more than a half million sphagnum dressings for the Italian army and something over 20,000 a month for the American war hospital. In September, 4915, the British-war office formally accepted sphagnum moss dressings and a year later Englund was turning out 150,00 fl a month and before the close of the war altnost, a million. The Canadian Red Cross averaged 300,000 of these dressings per month.

bearing on his sturdy shoulders ■ can of water which he doled out to the thirsting men. He carried munitions up to the front line and rations, too. In short,, there was nbt a deed which would help his fellow fighters, with the ex. ceptlon of firing a gun, that helm did not perform; and always cheerfully and with superhuman courage. So say his fellows one and all. . ‘ “It’s this way,” said Stierheim. "There Is no man that is a man who would desert his fellows when they are In trouble. So of course I helped them. I saw’ a good many of my friends dropping around me, dead and wounded. That made me feel pretty bad. It .didn’t make me nmd at the fellows we were fighting. I regarded it as simply a matter of war. The fellows in the other trenches couldn’t help being there any more than we could. They were trying to kill our men just as we were trying -to kill them. No, I didn’t feel any more resentment against them after my fellows w’ere shot down than I hgd before.” t

Other Heroic Deeds. A sergeant of his company was shot down In No Mail’s Land. Despite shell and machine gun fire, Stierheim walked out alone to where the sergeant lay, stooped over him for a moment and then returned. “He’s dead —there’s no use,” Stierheim reported. “But If you want me to I’ll go out again and bring him in.” Again, his companions found him pulling strenuously at a log halfburied in the trench. An ordinary man Is exposed from the chest up when he stands erect In a trench, and Stierheim looms far above the ordinary man. “Hey!” shouted his friends, “get away from there! You’ll be shot!” “No,” he replied, “this log will make a peach of a support for the dugout.” « So several of the boys helped him pull the log out, and because of enemy machine fmn fire It took them more than two hours to carry the log 50 yards. “And believe me, boys, that was some dugout he built,” an admirer chipped in. Because of his skill as a carpenter Stierheim w r as the official dugout builder of the regiment. All Sorts of Helpful Service. They tell many stories of Stierheim’s willingness to serve his fellows. He washed shirts for them, bound their wounds, buried the dead, and always helped the wounded. He w’ould unconsci nisly carry food and water for men tn fearsome positions where none but the most lion-hearted would dare creep. “Did I feel frightened? How do you feel when you’re frightened? I was so busy I didn’t have time to find out how I felt. There was no place that was safe within two miles of the trenches, and there was no use of thinking any more of danger up in front than back in the billets your chances of getting hit were good in' any place.” Many times Stierheim could easily have escaped, but he did not attempt it because it would get his guard in trouble. Often. We would go through crowds calling out the name of the mas guarding him in order that they could both go-back to the guardhouse together.

In Scotland and Ireland sphagnum moss has been used for many centuries for the same purposes as today, and it was used by army surgeons in the Napoleonic, the FrancoPrussian and the Russo-Japanese wars. In this country there were several reasons why it did not come into general use, the chief of which was because our army surgeons, accustomed to the use of absorbent cotton and still having plenty of this on hand, hesitated about using a substitute. Sphagnum moss is far superior to cotton in many ways, such as its better quality, cheapness of manufacture and its far superior absorbent qualities. Sphagnum moss is a small low plant, commonly pale green when wet and almost white when dry, although it may be any shade from bright red and pink to russet green and dark brown or almost black. The sphagnum most adaptable for surgical use is called sphagnum papillosum, and its absorbent quality is due to a 'peculiar pore structure in its leaves. In general sphagnum grows in wet places and attains its best development in cool, humid regions, such as Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Vancouver Island and western Washington, although it is Ipiown to grow as far south as New Jersey. In bogs the sphagnum grows most luxuriantly, especially in the bogs where cranberries may be found. This surgical moss is pulled up bodily, the moisture squeezed out of it and any coarse plants that may be present removed, and then washed. Next the moss is air dried and then separated into two or more grades. In making the surgical dressings of this material first a layer of cheap | non-absorbent cotton the sice of the > dressing is laid down. Over this is spread a layer of sphagnum and over the sphagnum is laid a double layer of very thin gauze paper. The whoh Is then enclosed in a gauze outer wrapping. These dressings are then run through a clothes wringer -to flatten them out After this treatment they are sent to the hospital* where they are sterilized before b> Uur used.