The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-08-11

HEALTH OF THE CrY.-The City Inspector
reports nine hundred and seventy deaths for
the week ending on Saturday last-an increase
over the preceding week of two hundred and
forty -eight, and over the corresponding week
Of last year four hundred and two. Or these
three hundred and eighty-six were adults and
five hundred and eighty-fou children. Or the
latter three hundred and six were under one
year and two hundred and sixty-six between
one and fifteen years. There were thirty-six
children Of native parents, and four hundred
and scventy-fve foreign born and Of foreign
parents The excess in the mortality, as will
be seen, is chiefly confined to our foreign popu-
lation. There are eighty eight cases from sun
stroke reported, and sixty eight from conges-
ton Of the brain, third Of which, at least,
should have been set down as mainly superin-
duced, if not indeed wholly brought about by
exposure to the sun. II is of the first import
ance to sanitary science that the true cause Of
disease should be carefully investigated and
stated by our physicians in their returns OF
deaths to the City Inspectors Department A
too frequent neglect in following out this
rule must prevent that accuracy Of e.
innate OF diseases 80 important to the
sanitarfan in his Investigations and con
illusions, aud prove serious injury to the
cause Of medical science. These remarks are
introduced for the purpose Of calling the atten
ton of our physicians to the subject, are having
been informed from an official source that the
abuses referred to are becoming too general
among certain OF the medical profession of the
city.
The mortality of the city, although mucf
greater this season than it has been fol
MANY previous years, is no cause for alarm
and no apprehensions are felt for the safety o
the city from epidemics or contagious diseases
From the house physician of the New Yorl
Dispensary which is situated in the Sixth ward
a quarter of the city which is the first to bt
affected by the visitation Of epidemics, W,
have the following results:-Total number o
patients in the month Of July, 1862, three thou
sand two hundred and eighty-nine; attended a
dwellings (sevcre cases), five hundred AND
eighty-nine; number of deaths, twenty-five. Fol
the same north Of the present year we have I
total number Of three thousand three hundred
and one; at dwellings,, six hundred and forty
ono; deaths, wenty-one-being one death les
than in July, 1862.
The excessive humidity of the atmosphere
coupled with high temperature and an almos
constantly covered sky, during July, sufficiently
explains the greatly increased mortality during
the first week Of August. According to obser
walton and theoretical views the mortality from
phthisis and diseases Of the digestive organ
has been larger during the period of activity o.
the above mentioned cause than in any previouI
summer. We would suggest to City Inspector
Boole comparison Of the mortality of the
corresponding periods of the last few years il
reference to the chief individual causes O
death, and also the meteorological condition o
the city atmosphere during the weeks proceed
ing the largest number Of deaths from sucf
causes.
We have no doubt that an investigation o.
this character will show the City Inspector
Department less culpable than that Of the clerl
of the weather.