The New York herald., 1874-11-29
DIPHTHERIA.
Continued Serious Epidemic Appearance
Without any Alarming Increase.
How the Board of Health Views
the Matter.
Local Conditions the Cause and Local Re-
forms the Only Preventive.
II II E M q r A L .

The HERALD has recently had occasion, In q
Series OF articles on the subject Of dipntheria to
draw attention to the prevalence OF that disease
and the causes operating to produce and pr0pa-
gate IT, startling announcement In morn
ing contemporary q few weeks ago to the effect
that loS deaths rom this disease had occurred
during the previous week. being over double the
number OF any week before reported provoked fur
tner inquiry into subject interesting to all our
citizens, but more particularly to parents OF young
children. Happily the alarm which the statement
above quoted was likely to occasion was quickly
relieved upon inquiry at the Board Of Health
ONCE and In the subsequent reports OF that body.
There certainly has been
NO FRIGATFUL INCREASE
N that extent, although there has been no
falling on while the very rumor OF the former
contingency has seemed to make the latter
BY no means satisfactory fact relief by
comparison. But why should this be the case
Why should the mere escape from peril with
which It Is admitted we are threatened give cause
Tor special thankfulness Is this the extent OF
Dur sanitary safety Is this the only security we
possess against dangerous epidemic that may at
any moment sweep over our populous city With
she same wrathfulness that the Destroying Angel
swept over the Egyptian ctyS few inquiries
put to DR.. James, the Registrar OF Vital Statistics
(who at that time was evidently pre-engaged and
had but little leisure for discussion), procured
nom him the admission that while the Board OF
Health were doing everything in their power to re-
strict the disease and reduce the mortality by pre-
cautionary sanitary ana other measures. still there
wss an epidemic quality In the disease which was
not fully understood, and perhaps never would be,
that limited their efforts. lie did not think SO
much to be attributable to the NTH OF the streets
w an All tndo oad ho Arnt ntulye eho
Dtreets IN worse condition now than they have
been at this time Tor years. He thought personal
cleanliness was a mucn more important matter in
the way OF preventive, as although OF course the
epidemic poison was siren gthened by contact with
noisome exhalattons from the streets, he thought
these latter less dangerous than similar atmos-
pherlc conditions In the households OF the poor.
When asked II the Board OF Health could not do
something to improve and enfoI ce the sanitary
condition OF tho tenement houses. he replied that
they had been trying to do that for years, but mad
pot as yet met with full success. Mucn was de.
pendent upon
INDIVIDUAL EFFORT
ana unless the inhabitants OF these tenementS
co.operated with the Board OF Health there must
stu be danger. In the course OF the conversation
let some uneaslness respecting the spread or this
disease. Being epidemic it might extend into To-
caltles where neither the conditions which give 1t
birth nor such as serve to perpetuate 1t exist but
where 1t would still Hnd victims. He was in hopes,
OlScaSe
sence OF any considerable increase IN the mortality
during the past week favored that hope. These
epidemics seem 70 visit large cites at recurring
intervals. work their harvest OF death for period,
and then disappear, and the fact that they not
70 formidable as 10 former years and DO not In.
Bplre tue terror that once aided them Is but
proof OF the great advantages we have gained in
late years from the application OF the principles Of
sanitary science 70 the exlgencles OF city life.
An examination OF q map OF the city. prepared
by the Board oil Health to illustrate
TIE COURSE, OR RATHER PREVALENCE, OF THE EPI-
shows the upper part OF the Twentieth and lower
part OF the Twenty-second wards TO be the locali-
ties wherein the disease seems to nave found its
richest harvest. The border district Of the Six
teenth and Twentieth wards has also been greatly
DcourReo. After the localities here mentioned the
disease has mostly shown itself IN the Fourth and
Seventh wards; but, slngularly enough. as you 20
up town from these wards the disease only makes
ls appearance sporadicaly the east side, Cross
Ing over thence to the section noted.
from this disease during several weeks past has
been shown 10 the several weekly reports OF the
record and the me eoroogical conditions exissing
simultaneously fails to explain the prevalence OF
sni. disease rom atmospheric causes, and we must
eubation. And In doing 30 We may safely take
snort cut 10 ascrhlng It to the crowded condition
lancs predecessor aud for many years Registrar Of
Vital Statistics OF the Board or Health Of this city
out the lact that the contagious character Of che
disease 10 more pronounced among the poor. the
zion Of the Injected ia Impossible and even proper
md due attention to cleanly habits diflcult.
Here II to be found
TEE SOURCE OF OTHER AND MORE DANGEROUS
EPIDExICS
tnan dtphtherta that may at any time visit US with
, dreadful mortality. The Health Board now, in q
period OF comparative healthiulness, is compelled
70 nght disease day by day and inch BY inch pre-
serve the fair sanitary condition our city enjoys;
put whue we keep on multiplying in numbers
npon the same superficial area Of surface we can
LOT even hope that they Will always be SUCCESSFUL
AZ DR.. James remarked to the reporter, every
Eear we are visited by one or more
)pldemics that call for the most WIG.
rous action to stamp them out, and
ret we take no proper steps to prevent this evil
fistat10n, which, sooner or later, II such steps be
pot taken, VIII be TO US a scourge. What we need
more room aud better air Tor oar Gro wtod
people, without which sanitary science while tt
nay DO much, vet cannot hope to do more than
Mitigate recurring risks In conclusion, II Is salts.
hctory to be able to state that at present there il
lot sumcient cause tor serious alarm in respect
70 diphtherla, which, although II has not abated
n our midst Is still far rom having made any
great progress as an epidemic.
DIPHTHERTA IN BROOKLYN.
Tue sanitary authorities OF our sister city re.
hect the anxiety ielt here regarding the progress
Of this disease IN Brooklyn, without however,
Anding any cause for alarm. The disease is re.
ported as mostly prevalent IN districts comprising
Ebat 10 generally known as "made land, y where
lhe drainage is imperfect and the exnalation con.
Sequently impure. While reiterating what mas
been previously said regarding the absence OF any
cause ior alarm, IL may be said that the evident
epidemic character OF this disease calls for examl.