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Dr. Ronald P. Rogers CHIROPRACTOR Support for your body's natural healing capabilities 270-384-5554 Click here for details 
  
Columbia Gas Dept. GAS LEAK or GAS SMELL Contact Numbers 24 hrs/ 365 days 270-384-2006 or 9-1-1 Call before you dig 
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News from 100 years ago: A darker side then, brighter now An intense study of the newspapers of 100 years ago reveals that, by today's standards, Adair County was not nearly the healthy place to live it is today. There was rampant TB, and outbreaks of diptheria, typhoid fever, whooping cough, measles, mumps and other contagious diseases on a regular basis. Death more commonly visited at a much earlier age than it does today. -EW By "Jim" I try to keep the news from long ago on the light side, but now and anon, a darker side wins out. While perusing the old editions of the papers in search of material for the "100 years ago" column, headlines of articles frequently stick in my tired old mind. Here of late, three of those were: Miss Artelia Coffey, After a Long Illness Succumbs to the Inevitable (died June, 1911, age 20) Ina Ethel Hulse (died May, 1911, age 22) Death of Miss Clara Ann Wilson (died May, 1911, age 22) These, and too many like them, got me to pondering. Life was simpler a century ago -- but for most, it was considerably shorter. The nearest hospitals were in Nashville, Louisville, and Lexington, at least a half a day away in the best of circumstances; antibiotics were a generation in the future; and other than aspirin, there had been few if any advances for decades in the medicines available to doctors. Despite the News' frequent claims of Adair County being a healthy place to live (and relatively speaking, it was), tuberculosis was common (very nearly rampant in some areas of the county) as were outbreaks of diphtheria, typhoid fever, whooping cough, measles, mumps, and other contagious diseases. Consider this: in 1911, the first year state-mandated vital statistic records were kept, the deaths of 225 Adair County residents were recorded (and most likely, several went unrecorded, mandate or not.) In 2011, with over 2,000 more residents than a hundred years ago, the number of Adair County deaths (barring catastrophe) will be around 150. The grim numbers of fivescore years ago speak for themselves. Of the 225 recorded deaths, 59 were of children under one year of age;To put this in perspective: in the first half of 2011, ColumbiaMagazine posted (for Adair County residents) the obituaries of one infant under one year of age; of no children 1-5 years of age; and of one female 16-45. Sources: 1910 Adair County census (16,501 inhabitants) This story was posted on 2011-07-06 01:43:32
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Gospel Singing at Egypt Christian Church, July 10, 2011 Half Siamese Kittens get new home, together! Help asked finding Reggie, missing black/tan Yorkie Kara Elizabeth Back receives Newell Scholarship to SCC Charles Marshburn now has bragging rights on two half-Siamese kittens Vacation Bible School July 18-22, 2011 at Columbia church of Christ Clothing giveaway, free haircuts July 9, 2011, at Columbia church of Christ Columbia/Adair Co. Fireworks Display an unforgettable show Adair County Fair Pageant applications deadline is July 8, 2011 (Ad) Yard sales continued to be posted over holidays View even more articles in topic News |
 
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