SYMPOSIUM ON PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEMS 73 
PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEMS 
Dr, J. H. Bearp, HEALTH OrFicer, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
From their ages at death individuals may be divided into 
two groups: the premature and the senile. In the former, 
death occurs during growth, in early maturity, or in the great 
period of activity and is largely preventable. In the latter, the 
age of productivity is passed, senescence is at hand, and passage 
of the Great Divide is the law of Nature. It is the purpose of 
this symposium to consider the premature group in some de- 
tail as to its causation, prevention, social, economic, and 
medical aspects. 
It is estimated that two and a half million children are born 
annually in Continental United States. Of this number about 
300,000 will die during the first year of life. One of every 
eight children die before they are a year old. A new born 
child has less chance of living a week, than a man of ninety; 
of living a year, than a man of eighty. 
Over 500,000 people die of communicable disease each year 
in this country ; over six million are sick as a result of avoid- 
able infection. Such a loss of life and health, if localized, 
would completely depopulate Cleveland and would cause every 
citizen of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Kansas to seek medical 
attention. The immediate death rate and illness of infectious 
disease are probably no more important than their complica- 
tions and sequelae. Measles and whooping cough may prepare 
the soil for tuberculosis; scarlet fever for renal disease; ton- 
sillitis, pneumonia and syphilis for cardiac failure; infectious 
disease in general, but syphilis in particular for degeneration 
of the vascular and nervous systems. 
Our industries are making considerable progress in the 
protection of workers from the illness and accidents of occu- 
pation. There are, however, each year about 25,000 deaths 
due to industrial accidents and 700,000 injuries involving a 
disability of four weeks or longer. One-third to one-half of 
these are estimated (by competent authorities) to be prevent- 
able by proper safe-guards, inspection and control, Each of 
the thirty million workers in this country lose on an average 
annually, nine days from work on account of sickness, more 
