The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-31
VITAL STATISTICS OF THE METROPOLIS.


t,aHy sf the City.
Among the reports which made every year by the
different departments sf city government there ia
perhaps replete with matter renec-
con as thai Of the City Inspector. While take note
Of the increase Of popu.aou II that we
should also mark the which aect that fcoteass
II is only however, when terrible epidemic Is rag
ing midst sweeping OH thousands Of our people
that eap attention is brought /, bear upon che
subject. According to the las. report Of Dr.
Downing the number of deaths within the line Of ne
city of New York during the year 1883 o. .02. OF
these Inay safely say fourth would have beer
alive to-day If had thoroughly organized sanitary
department Ns that Of Boston and' other cities. We
know Of other city in the United Sstes which pos
greater natural advantages than for all that
should conduce to the health of its ,sople and yet
there few whose bills of mortality eThibt lager
per centage of deaths Our air A purified by the
freshenipg breeoes which sweep tho
Iansve waters Of one of the noblest bays in the
world, and rbores are washed either side by
river, aordng every facility for most perfect system
Of sewerage yet with sash advantages of situation
twenty two thouan of Its inhabant died last year
II look for the Of such excessive mortality we
will find them in the filthy condition of streets
incomplete and defective sewerage and in the
less treatment Of tho nsuie portion of pulaon
As proof of this oni, necessary state that of the
among children under ten years of age and Of these
7,724 under year. while with regard to the
streets and the sewerage, ueed only remind read
OF the reports Of the ah warens upon the
condition OF the various wards From these reports IL
appeared that there thousands of houses the
east side and in the centre Of the city which had
munication with the sewers and that many of these
the Easements full OF waters The Streets
too In parts almost mpasble from the heaps
Of dirt which allowed to eale their noxous vapor
beneath the intense heat of 1t Is true,
when public attention called to some Of these nui
apces by the excessive mortality, temporary remedies
were devised the good thereby effected very tr
fling in comparison with the great evils with which tho
city was afflicted. New York has since undergone
material change far its sanitary condition ID
ceined 1t probable that il will while its gov
erpmen constituted II is at present 1t would occupy
space than could devote to the subject to enter
into enumeration Of the other by which the
health Of city is affected but there is which
must aude tothe occupation of houses of very limited
dimensions by a large number of families. There
hundreds Of such houses In New York. in which there
five and six persons occupying anl there
hundreds of families who occupy Easements which
hardly Gt for pig pens
We know IL is impossible for city government 20
all these Of diseese and eah; but feel
convinced that If authorities dd their duty bills
Of mortality would not present such fearful yearly az
grogate.
The in the number OF deaths Of 1853 that
Of the preceding year ed in the comparative
statement OF rho City Inspectors report Is i,lol
about five per cant OF the wholH number, 22215 were
white persons and Of colored Az. From table giving
the OF the deceased we find the number Of malts
IL, 230 agaiIAt IL So tue previous year, showing
Increase Of 311, while OF omale, there total
ic472 against o742 niing an increase OF 7ao From
extraneous they termed which thosc
not set down among the regular list Of diseascs the
number of deas in ls52 aS7, anu u 1865 it reach
ed 227 This Disparity arises, N part from par
tcular separation Of these during th year than
formerly but, Independent Of this view, casualties have
The mortality among the males usual exceeds that
Of the females The disparity between The number OF
adults of both 25 and the children Of both
cs amounting Of the latter OF o45i,
about seventy nine and half per cent shows
in the mortality Of the past year The
Of male adults partly accounted for by their
greater exposures but that of male children has received
yet no adequate soiution.
The total number Of foreigners who died in 1853
1904 thirty per cent Of the whcis mortality,
many, 5sS from England 274 from Scotland and the
nander from other countries leaving the whole native
mortality at l5,4o9 The following table presents the
total number Of deaths during each month"; with the
and ace or the deceased.-