VIII. B, 6 Musgrave: Infant Mortality 467 



than were destroyed by the Taal eruption ; and the economic loss 

 to the country by decrease in potential energy and earning capac- 

 ity of its citizens, to say nothing of the actual loss of life, costs 

 the country daily many times the value of property destroyed 

 by Taal. 



The recent catastrophe in Cebu and other southern islands 

 sent a wave of horror over the country and called out Govern- 

 ment and private reserves to meet the requirements of the 

 situation. The loss of life and health is greater from criminal 

 obstetrical practices in the Philippine Islands every day of the 

 year than was the loss of life at Cebu. The financial drain upon 

 the resources of the country as a result of these preventable and 

 criminal practices is a greater daily drain than the total value 

 of the property destroyed by this unavoidable calamity. 



In older and more experienced countries there is at last an 

 awakened public opinion regarding the economic consideration 

 of health problems, and one of the most important questions for 

 us is to secure the support of this valuable weapon in our cam- 

 paign for the conservation of the lives of the potential citizens 

 of this country. 



