58 



George C. Whipple 



but according to Leighton' it varies at different ages from $i,ooo to 

 $7,000, as shown by Table i. It so happens that persons are most 

 susceptible to typhoid fever near the age when their life-value is 

 considered greatest. By combining the life-value at different ages 

 with the age distribution of persons dying of typhoid fever, the 

 resulting average value of persons dying from typhoid fever is found 

 to be $4,634, which is very close to the figure ordinarily used. 



The percentage mortality of typhoid fever patients is sometimes 

 stated as 10 per cent; that is, ten cases for every death. Figures of 

 this character are most often based on hospital records, and mild cases 

 do not generally reach the hospitals. Studies of recent typhoid epi- 

 demics indicate that 15 to 18 cases for each death would be nearer the 

 truth. The expense of medical treatment, nursing, and medicine, the 

 loss of wages for a month or more, together with other attending 

 expenses and inconveniences, would doubtless aggregate at least $100 

 per case, or $1,000 for the 10 cases corresponding to one death. If 

 the estimate of $100 is considered too large, it may be answered that 

 the excess is more than offset by the fact that there are more often from 

 15 to 18 cases for each death than there are 10. It may be fairly 

 assumed, therefore, that $6,000 is a very moderate estimate of the 

 financial loss to the community from typhoid fever for each death 

 from that disease. 



TABLE I. 



Age 

 o- s years 



s-° :: 



10-15 



15-20 " 



20-2S " 



25-30 " 



30-35 ' 



35-4° ;; 



40-45 



4S-50 :: 



50-55 



SS-60 " 



60-65 " 



65-70 " 



70- 



Total 



Estimated Value of 

 Human Life 



$1. 

 2 

 2 

 3 

 5' 

 7 

 7 

 6 



5 

 5 

 4 

 4 

 2 

 I 

 I 



500 

 300 

 500 

 000 

 000 

 500 

 ,000 

 000 

 500 

 ,000 

 Soo 

 500 

 ,000 

 ,000 

 ,000 



Per Cent of Deaths 

 from Typhoid Fever 



5 



5 



7 



13 



16 



13 

 9 

 8 



S 

 4 

 3 

 2 

 2 

 I 

 I 



Product of Columns 

 2 and 3 



$ 7-5 10 



13.570 



18,000 



39.300 



83.500 



99,100 



60,300 



48,000 



30,900 



20,000 



15,000 



11,700 



4,200 



1.500 



1,900 



$463,480 



Average value of life of persons dying from typhoid fever, $4,634. 

 'M. O. Leighton, Popular Science Monthly, January, 1902. 



