COST OF ILL HEALTH

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 84, 6 October 1938, Page 14

COST OF ILL HEALTH

PREVENTABLE BILL

CHANGE OF OUTLOOK NEEDED

(By Air Mail, from "The Post's" London

Representative.)

LONDON, September 8,

Sir Leonar-1 Hill devoted'a part of his presidential address before the Sanitary Inspectors' Association, in Edinburgh, to the cost of fighting disease. It had been computed that £285,000,000 was spent yearly on ill health, £100,000,000 of it being due' to workers' lost time and lessened efficiency. There could *>c no doubt that by tracing social and economic causes of ill health and accidents, and making necessary adjustments, many millions might be saved. Public; authorities legally could spend money only on relief of suffering, not on inquiry into prevention, while the Government did not spend on medical research as much as the cost of one torpedo boat.

"Some people look upon scientific men as the originators of the horrors of modern war, the bombing aeroplane, gas poisons, and high explosive shells, but these are the adaptations of science made by armament makers at the behest of grasping and ill-edu-cated rulers."

Of the sum allocated in 1937 for additional insurance benefits, dentistry was stated to have absorbed £2,175.000 out of £3,346,000.

Condemning white flour as deficient in vitamins and minerals essential for health, Sir Leonard said that feeding children on white bread and cheap margarine or jam was like supplying petrol to a car without lubrication to the engine.

Tooth brushes, dentifrices, and dentists had done nothing to stop decay of teeth, which affected over 90 per cent, of children. But the mischief could be prevented by a proper diet of whole wheatmeal, milk, butter and cheese, and vegetables, with, a'little meat and some hard food to bite on and exercise the jaws.

Alcoholic drinks taken in moderation, increased the feeling of well-being and sociability. Beer had been acclaimed as "liquid sunshine,"" but in doses less than those which caused intoxication. Alcohol reduced critical judgment and increased errors.in skilled operations and thus contributed to road and factory accidents.

On the subject •of motor accidents. Sir Leonard pointed out that fourteen European countries had adopted medical examination for all drivers. In Britain only drivers of public service vehicles were examined. There were excellent psychological tests which showed up those unfit .to drive, and a licence should only be given to those found medically fit.

Vast sums now spent on quack medicines and appliances might be saved. There were secret remedies advertised which made grossly exaggerated claims and caused injury by leading people to delay in securing medical advice, some containing in disguise large proportions of alcohol and some professing to cure incurable diseases and being deliberately fraudulent:. There was a disgraceful leniency to venders of quack medicines, in strong Contrast with the penalties to which those who falsified the chatacter of ordinary foods and drugs were liable.

The discovery of radium had revolu r tionised. scientific thought, but-it -was doubtful whether the ? enormous sums spent dn Aradium for' treatmentvof; cancer had been justified. ~-:; v ■