New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-06-19
Public Health.

To De Editor of The Tribune
A Sunday paper styles me restless egotist,
for asserting the easily demonstrable fact, that
breathing impure air is destructive Of public
health, and sweIs the terrible catalogue of disease
and premature de ath in the reports Of the City in
spector :" and my statements, with yours, are pro-
nounced to be "rascally because shamefully un-
true" and l am "joker,' and an exquisite
wag," for making these "abominably scsndaous'
assertions.
take the report of the City Inspector to be
pretty reliable authority; now what are the facts
contained in that report l will present few of
them:
l. The deaths by disease, in this city, last year,
were 22373
@ OF these, the number who died # the only
natural death of old age was 22i. All the rest may
be properly termed premature.
3. OF the whole number Of interments, those of
children were l2,0sS.
4. OF these there died of commissions. cho.
era infantum, dropsy Of the BRAIN Group and scar.
let fever, ll,92s.
5. In the two months of July and August last.
there died in this city of children under FIVE years
OF age, 1925
6. Ofthe 5,07l persons who died Of cholera last
year, $3.50 were foreigners, many Of the others
the children OF foreigners; and nearly all in.
habitants OF the most miserable dwellings in this
city. Not one in twenty of those who died were
in comfortable circumstances and not one in
hundred enjoyed toleraby healthy conditions
Here are the facts Of figures, taken, with the
exception of the differences in the last sentence,
fromm the Official Report
Now If we allow that not more than one case OF
sickness in ten, taking all diseases, is fatal we
may estimate the amount of sickness. We have
22OOOO cases, the last year. which number CORES.
ponds very well with the number and average
practice OF our physicians, and the business Of our
apothecsres.
Is, or is not, this a terrible catalogue" I
think, at all events, that it will not be pronounced
"rascaly, because shamefuly untrue and If IL
be, the City Inspector is the Exquisite wag" who
must have the credit for making it. II seems TO
NE that this is too serious a matter for ridcule il
IS rather one for earnest consideration.
Observe the relations of disease and dsstb IN
poverty and its disoomforts, as displayed by the
above facts, and this one in addition. namely.
VI the Is 1I5 nterments last year l3l54 were
| res. '''' Ne'he'o
vi the Cholera, the Inspector says it mostly pre-.
vailed among the most miseraby poor and desti-
tute Just in that halfstarved and exposed condi
noh thst reduces the ris rita too low successfulv
70 repei disease Of any Kind much less an enidamic
OF TINS nature They were, in fact, the proper food
OF The Asiatic Cholera. This argument is strength
Sneu ny lhe results OF opposite facts In those
wards inhabited by those in easier circumstances
and who are better fed, clothed, and lodged there
| lew are found, proportionately, TO succumb to ths
disease. II may be safely affirmed that individ.
uals well fed, clothed and housed observing proosr
personal cleanliness are nearly iRvuInera5l,. nor
perhaps TO an attack Of Cholera, but 70 its fstsl
issue And this law, as above minated, apnIiss
In full force to all other diseases Where more IN
| 1000 infants died, in two months laat Summsr
many thousands OF the children Of the comnsra
lively wealthy. were in the country. Typhus fave,
the wei known scourge Of poverty ilth. and
Here are facts for all thoughtful people, and no
nOs deride a. restless egotists those WI, br;ag