4.04 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



in St. Louis and has been reasonably well enforced ever since. 

 Apparently, as a result of this, the death rate from consumption 

 decreased only slightly. The indications are that there are other 

 sources of infection which the health authorities are neglecting 

 to remove. At any rate, in spite of the anti-spitting ordinance, 

 there were 1,009 deaths from consumption in St. Louis last year. 

 There were probably 4,000 deaths from consumption in the State 

 of Missouri during the last year. The nursing and burying of 

 consumptives in the State of Missouri costs something like six 

 hundred thousand dollars each year. On a recent visit to the tuber- 

 culosis ward of the city hospital of St. Louis, I learned that in four 

 years, in spite of the most magnificent care, ten patients were 

 turned out alive and 895 dead. I believe that all of this can be 

 counted as the cost of neglect. The sources of tuberculosis infec- 

 tion to the lower animals and to the human family are well known 

 to scientific men. If losses from this disease are permitted to con- 

 tinue in the future, not only immense sums of money spent in 

 nursing and burying consumptives, but a heavy loss of human life 

 must be charged up to "the cost of neglect." 



In order that the statement that all contagious diseases of 

 both the human family and the lower animals can be completely 

 prevented may not seem incredible, I need only to call attention to 

 what has been done in the past. Every contagious disease of man 

 and beast of such aspect as to scare the public and drive people 

 to follow scientific advice, has been completely stamped out. Foot 

 and mouth disease, and contagious pleuro-pneumonia, both of which 

 are more difficult to control than tuberculosis, have been wiped 

 off of this continent. I venture the statement again that many 

 scientific men have sufficient knowledge of all the contagious dis- 

 eases to give such directions as would, if properly carried out, ab- 

 solutely prevent loss from them. Those who are in official po- 

 sitions have frequently and willingly published the information 

 necessary for their control. If the live stock owner neglects to 

 read, neglects to believe, and neglects to follow the directions laid 

 down by competent authorities for the prevention of contagious 

 diseases, he is bound to contribute his share to the cost of such 

 neglect. 



