NATIONAL HEALTH AND WORK. 659 



I will add only one more illustration of these losses, which is al- 

 ways suggested by looking at tables of mortality. The deaths of per- 

 sons between twenty-five and forty-five years old, that is during what 

 may be deemed the twenty best working years of life, are annually 

 between 60,000 and 70,000 ; in 1882 they were 66,000. Think, now, 

 of the work lost by these deaths ; and of how much of it might have 

 been saved by better sanitary provisions. If one looks at the causes 

 of their deaths, it is certain that many might have been prevented, or, 

 at least, deferred. Say that they might have lived an average of two 

 years more ; and we should have had in this year and last an increase 

 of work equivalent to that of at least 6,000,000 weeks ; as much, in 

 other words, as 6,000,000 people could do in one week. 



More instances of losses of work by sickness and premature death 

 might easily be given, but not easily listened to in this huge hall. 

 Let these sufiice to show something of our enormous annual loss, not 

 only of personal and domestic happiness — that is past imagining — 

 but of national power and wealth. Surely we ought to strive more 

 against it. 



But, some may ask, can these things be prevented ? are they not 

 inevitable consequences of the manner of life in which we choose or 

 are compelled to live ? No ; certainly they are not. No one who 

 lives among the sick can doubt that a very large proportion of the 

 sickness and the loss of work which he sees might have been prevent- 

 ed ; or can doubt that, in every succeeding generation, a larger propor- 

 tion still may be averted, if only all men will strive that it may be so. 



Let me enumerate some of the chief sources of the waste as they 

 appear to one's self in practice. 



Of the infectious fevers, small-pox might be rendered nearly 

 harmless by complete and careful vaccination. Tyj^hus and typhoid, 

 scarlet fever and measles might, with proper guards against infection, 

 be confined within very narrow limits. So, probably, might whooping- 

 cough and diphtheria. 



Of the special diseases of artisans there are very few of which the 

 causes might not be almost wholly set aside. Of the accidents to 

 which they are especially liable, the greater part, by far, are due to 

 carelessness. 



Of the diseases due to bad food and mere filth ; to intemperance ; 

 to immorality — in so far as these are self -induced — they might, by 

 self-control and virtue, be excluded. And with these, scrofula, rick- 

 ets, scurvy, and all the wide-spread defects related to them, these 

 might be greatly diminished. 



It can only be a guess, but I am sure it is not a reckless one, if I 

 say that of all the losses of work of which I have spoken, of all the 

 millions of weeks sadly spent and sadly wasted, a fourth part might 

 have been saved, and that, henceforth, if people will have it so, a still 

 larger proportion may be saved. 



