102 MICROBES AND HEALTH. 



and death ?" They claim their "saving to the taxpayer 

 is enormous/' and prove this by "studies, probabilities 

 and estimates." Why this uncertainty? Because they 

 are dealing in theory. 



Anything which health boards can do to establish 

 and maintain cleanliness should be encouraged; that 

 is the only thing they ever have or ever can do to pre- 

 vent sickness or cure disease, and as stated elsewhere 

 a company of business men could accomplish just as 

 much in this direction and comparatively would cost 

 nothing. 



In the foregoing quotation the health board states 

 that "each case of sickness avoided represents a saving 

 of at least $40 for funeral expenses/' According to 

 this, every disease treated by the health board ends 

 fatally, for if every case "avoided represents a saving 

 of $40 funeral expenses," then every case where dis- 

 ease develops must end fatally. In this case the health 

 board is to be congratulated for its honesty, for we 

 are not acquainted with any other class of physicians 

 who are willing to admit of so large a percentage of 

 failures. 



Let us see what others think of health boards. In 

 the discussion of a medical question in Detroit recently, 

 as reported on page 570, Physician and Surgeon for 

 October, 1899, a prominent doctor said: "I certainly 

 believe that the state of our society at the present time 

 does not warrant any such measures as are being taken 

 by the State Board of Health to-day. I do not think 

 that the profession, as a whole, in this state will back 

 up the State Board of Health in this connection, and 



