structs? Which is the more valuable, land and capital, or the mind and hand that develop land and manipulate capital that they may yield wealth and promote prosperity?

Knowing these facts, why does society permit the slaughter of labor? The answer is: To society the hazard of toil is not a personal affair; to the employer labor is a thing easily acquired or replaced. As a sociologist the health officer must appeal to sentiment. As an economist he must demonstrate the money loss. to community and employer.

Sentiment is largely a matter of relationship, and the closer the relationship the keener the sentiment. In all instances a calamity, threatened or real, is required to arouse it. One death in a family is a calamity to that family, for the reason that it disintegrates the family unit. One death in a community is not a calamity to that community, for the reason that the mass is unaffected and disinterested. A thousand deaths in a community of 100,000 people, occurring one at a time, do not make a calamity, because sorrow is distributed over a long period of time and limited to the families involved, but a Collinwood fire or a Dayton flood arouses city, state and nation.

Physicians may regard the 73.000 reportable accidents which killed, maimed or temporarily disabled the industrial workers of Ohio in 1915 an irreparable disaster. Because of those the sentiment of 73,000 families was undoubtedly aroused to various degrees through worry over lost earning power or the interminable sorrow of death. Yet the body social of our great state accepted the pain and losses that followed those 73.000 accidents with equanimity and gave little heed to the ruin of the toilers.

The social conscience is slow to arouse. The man who seeks to animate it is called a crank, an alarmist, a reformer. There is little incentive in the form of public acknowledgment or remuneration for the health officer to preach the doctrine of prevention. His only reward in. life is the satisfaction of doing that which he knows is right. His penalty if he succeeds is a diminished income for his profession.

Nor does industry encourage him. Industry has no sentiment to arouse, and industry cannot understand why a doctor should aid a movement that results in a decreased demand for the services required of his profession. Industry has never known a gunmaker. who advocated peace, nor can industry conceive of a surgeon who advocates the prevention of accidents, nor a physician who pleads for less sickness, a longer life and a lower death rate.

Yet the protection of human life in industry is just as much the duty of a health officer as the protection of human life in the home. There is no very good reason why Toledo, for example, should safeguard the health of its 40.000 working people from the time they leave the shops until they go back, leaving the care of their health when employed to their employers.

It certainly is not fair that the working man should lose his life in seeking to gain his living. The labor unions have taken up

the fight for him and they are seeking to obtain safe working conditions, a shorter day and a better wage. While it may not be advisable for a health officer to plunge into these intricate social problems, it is his duty to study working conditions for the purpose of intelligently eliminating those which are inimical to health.

In the survey conducted by Dr. E. R. Hayhurst, a splendid beginning has been made in Ohio. The work should be taken up by every industrial center in the state. Every local health department. should have a bureau of industrial hygiene, to cooperate with the state board of health in the reporting of the purely occupational diseases, the elimination of the health hazards such as dust, dampness, darkness, et cetera, and the dissemination of information that will assist the employes in safeguarding their health through proper living.

In Toledo we have been seeking to establish such a bureau for two years. Our first plan was promulgated under the title of the "Bureau of Industrial Safety, Sanitation and Hygiene." The Toledo Commerce Club was chosen as the organization to father the plan. But it has been demonstrated that the employer, as represented in a commercial organization, is more interested in traffic regulation. than he is in prolonging the lives of his workers.

In our opinion this is not entirely the fault of the employer. In the first place he fails to grasp the fact that the condition of health among his employes, by affecting their efficiency as workmen, may determine the size of the dividends his directors may declare. He has not been brought to realize that it is his duty as an employer to provide a safe working place for his men. Lastly, the body social has not quite been educated to the point where it will believe or feel that it pays the cost of all the sickness and injury and death that industry causes.

In the meantime, the work of educating the public, the employer and employe must continue. The bureau of industrial hygiene seems to be the best means to the attainment of this end.

It is the function of a health officer, if he would safeguard the workers, to arouse the interest of the employers of his community by demonstrating to them the difference in efficiency between the well man and the sick man. The man who hires must be shown that a sick man on the job can not get out a full day's work and that a sick man off the job costs money because a new man has to be put in his place, at a cost of $35.00 to $70.00.

The workman himself must be impressed with the necessity of scrutinizing the conditions of the place in which he proposes to work. The workman's health and physical capacity to do work are his capital stock. He offers to invest this for a time. The return is his wage. If he receives $8.00 a day, as some of the tradesmen in Toledo receive in this wonderfully prosperous time, his annual income is the equivalent of 4% on $60,000. He is then investing that which is equal in value to $60,000, and he should safeguard that investment with all the care that a $60,000 investment demands.

The dependents of an industrial worker who loses his life while employed are compensated through the industrial commission to the extent of about $4,000. It is possible to demonstrate, on this basis, that the five hundred workers and more who lost their lives last year in Ohio cost society at least $2,000.000. It is an axiom of economics that the purchaser of a product that cost a life in its making pays for the cost of that life, but no one individual who lives in Ohio realizes that he pays any part of this vast sum. The cost of living increases because of the increased cost of killing, but the cost is so remotely distributed that those who pay do so in ignorance of or with indifference toward that which increases the cost of the product. Society does not heed statements which inform it of the vast sums it loses through sickness and death. The loss is too remote.

The man who finances the making of a product, the man who furnishes the hands to make that product and the man who buys it are all vitally concerned in the effect the making of that product has had upon the health and life of the worker. It is the privilege of the health officer, who sees this problem from all three points, to arouse the three parties concerned to the necessity of instituting preventive measures.

For the accomplishment of this end health departments have organized bureaus of industrial hygiene. Through education and law enforcement these bureaus have served the purpose, and through clinics they have done much in repairing the damage done. We believe that the health department in each industrial center in Ohio owes it to the workers of its community to have such a bureau, if for no other reason than the educational effect. We have tried to obtain one in Toledo, but have failed because of insufficient funds. Results do not come rapidly from educational work. The sociologist, in seeking to hasten the issue, has found in the workmen's compensation act an example to follow. His reasoning is: workmen's compensation started the safety-first movement; health insurance will start a health-first movement. And very likely it will. By putting a tangible penalty, measured in silver upon the damage industry and society inflict upon the worker, those who are responsible and have to pay the penalty will very promptly start measures intended to stop the damage.

As health officers, our obligation to the people compels us to study the proposed health insurance act and if we find the anticipated result to be a likely result, we should support it. In supporting this act we should determine-and this is exceedingly importantthat the physician who attends the sick working man man be well paid, in order that the working man may be well attended. Otherwise the beneficient effect will be nullified.

There are other features to be studied in the proposed act, such as the equitable distribution of the cost and the proper payment of compensation, but these are questions for the economist and the sociologist. The health officer is concerned solely with these two questions: Will health insurance stimulate a movement to minimize

the health hazards of toil and will it provide competent medical attention for the sick worker?

Every health officer should investigate and study that he may answer these questions these questions intelligently. Health insurance will be brought to the attention of the Ohio legislature in the near furture. As it has apparently a vital relation to the welfare of the working classes, the leaders in the public health movement must be prepared to assist in determining the wisdom of adopting it.

PROSECUTOR REMINDS DOCTORS AND MIDWIVES OF LAW.

John C. D'Alton, prosecuting attorney of Lucas County, recently sent the following communication to every physician and midwife in the county:

To the Physicians and Midwives of the City of Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio: In addressing the following to you, our purpose is to give you, for your benefit, a complete understanding of the laws of this State regarding the treatment of the eyes of the newborn and the reporting of inflammation, swelling or redness in same, that you may have knowledge thereof, and that in the future there may be no necessity for instituting prosecutions for violation of these laws.

First: It is the duty of every physician in attendance upon a case of childbirth in a maternity home, hospital, public or charitable institution, to use some prophylactic immediately after birth in the infant's eyes, against inflammation of the eyes of the newborn, and to make a record of the prophylactic used.

Second: It is the duty of every midwife IN EVERY CASE of childbirth under her care, immediately after birth to use such prophylactic, against inflammation of the eyes of the newborn, as the State Board of Health requires.

Third: The prophylactic required of midwives and recommended to physicians by the State Board of Health is a one per cent solution of silver nitrate, and two drops should be dropped into each eye. This prophylactic is furnished free by the State Board of Health, and may be procured in Toledo at Rupp & Bowman's drug store on Superior Street, at Joseph Wernert's drug store, corner Adams and Michigan, at the local Health Board's office, and at the Toledo District Nurses Association.

Fourth: ANY inflammation, swelling, or redness in either one or both eyes of any infant, EITHER APART FROM OR TOGETHER WITH ANY UNNATURAL DISCHARGE FROM THE EYE OR EYES OF SUCH INFANT, INDEPENDENT OF THE NATURE OF THE INFECTION, IF ANY, OCCURRING AT ANY TIME WITHIN TWO WEEKS AFTER THE BIRTH OF SUCH INFANT, SHALL BE KNOWN AS “INFLAMMATION of the eyes of the newborn."

From the above, you will note that the inflammation, swelling, or redness of the eyes contemplated by this statute need not necessarily be caused by a specific infection, and need not be the technical ophthalmia neonatorum, but that ANY inflammation, swelling, or redness arising from any cause whatsoever, even the use of prophylactics, is covered by this statute.

Fifth: It is the duty of every physician, surgeon, obstetrician, midwife, nurse, maternity home, or hospital of any nature; parent, relative, and any persons attendant upon or assisting in any way whatsoever, any infant or the mother of an infant, at childbirth, or ANY TIME within two weeks after the childbirth, knowing the condition hereinabove defined (any inflammation, swelling or redness of infant's eye or eyes) to exist, WITHIN SIX HOURS

THEREAFTER to report such fact, as the State Board of Health shall direct, to the local Health Officer of the city, town, village, or whatever other political division there may be, within which the infant or the mother of such infant may reside. For such service there is allowed a fee of 50 cents, payable from the State Treasury.

In this connection, you should report every case of inflammation, swelling, or redness, as above described, of which you shall have knowledge, occuring within two weeks after childbirth, to the local Health Officer, and within the period of six hours after discovering same. This report should be in writing, should contain your name and address, the name, sex, age in days, and address of the infant, together with the name of the mother. If the infant has no name, it should be designated, “Name Unknown." Black printed cards will be supplied by the Board of Health free of charge, to be used in making these reports.

We would advise that as soon as you have notice of a condition of the eyes as above described, that you immediately telephone the Health Board, and ALSO AT ONCE deposit in the mail a written notice, as above described. Do not wait to see whether or not the eyes will clear up, or whether or not there is a specific infection, but report at once.

The penalty for violating any of the provisions of this statute is a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $100 for the first offense, and for a second and each subsequent offense not less than $100 nor more than $300. It is the duty of the Prosecuting Attorney to prosecute all violations of this law.

Yours very truly,

JOHN C. D'ALTON.

The action was taken on account of numerous violations of the law which have been brought to the attention of the prosecutor. Doubtless more severity will be used in handling such cases in the. future after the above warning.

SCHOOL BOARD TO COMPEL VACCINATION OF PUPILS AND TEACHERS.

Every teacher and pupil in the public schools of the city must show proof of a successful vaccination within the next two weeks or be barred from the schools, according to an action taken by the board of education in session at the high school building last night.

This action was taken after Dr. E. B. Starr, of the health department, had presented a communication to the board telling of the smallpox situation in the city and the necessity of checking the disease. Dr. Starr presented to the board his view of the proper methods of dealing with the disease by saying that not only would such a step at this time prevent the spread of smallpox among the children, but it would also prevent the disease in years to come.

The proposition was discussed at great length by the board before a motion was presented to the effect that the above action be taken and it was unanimously adopted.

The health department of the city will vaccinate those who are unable to pay a physician for this service, and it is understood that the rule will be rigidly enforced.-Springfield Sun, February 23.