Digging to the Roots of a Dying Tree 23 



population was not adopted, but the local draft board 

 unit of 25,000. Moreover, local districts often in- 

 cluded portions of rural territory which were, therefore, 

 rated urban. Such as it is, the record shows 528 de- 

 fects per thousand among rural soldiers, against 609 

 among the urban. A true division would almost cer- 

 tainly have been in favor of city life, as it was in the 

 Civil War. At that time, however, a vast majority of 

 the people lived in rural districts, while now the major 

 portion dwells in towns. 



A somewhat clearer light was thrown upon the sub- 

 ject, when considered from another interesting stand- 

 point — that of comparative immunity from certain 

 diseases after entering the Army. In four out of five 

 instances the ultra-urban State of New York stood 

 first, with the rural States last in every instance. Penn- 

 sylvania and New England, preponderantly urban, also 

 made an exceedingly good showing. This is not entirely 

 conclusive, because of the racial element that enters 

 into the equation — more of the Eastern urban men 

 being of foreign blood than of those from largely rural 

 States. 



So far as Secretary Lane's inquiry shed light on 

 those matters, it was strongly confirmatory of the city's 

 claim to superiority on the side of public health and 

 individual physical well-being. It is a superiority in- 

 herent in the fundamental conditions of modern urban 

 life. In a word, the drift from country to city is not 

 unfortunate for society, from the standpoint of health. 



The initial point for every person who wants to 

 make the most of himself is, of course, the schoolroom. 

 Every worthy parent wishes his child to have the best 



