New-York tribune., 1874-11-21
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
FOES oF,PuBLIC HEALTH.

FOES OFPUBI.IC HEALTH.
MURRAY HILL ANNOYED BY BROOKLYN sfhNohho-
ppHTHERIA MOST PREvALENrIN ThE fhNh~NNA
pIsTRICTs-rrs RAvAGEs TRACED
With the exception of the prevalence OF
peyeral Of the Eymotic diseases, the senefa he"'
The city may be said to fully rs good as u was ee
rear at this season. Tho ravages OF diphhers arc sun
ncressny but the mortality in the city compares FAVOR
,hlv with that Of the country where such stringent
sanary measures are not as necessary as ssions "o
srovded and populous districts Tue weh-uraineo
.ecuons those localities where the ele'auon
raa,est are reported unusually healthy. Beth upon
,he oast and west sides OF the city. where the locality
not so well drained higher rate OF mortality mas Doeh
nortad When 1t considered that the larger number
a the poorer classes occupy the tenements the aggrega
tiou OF persons necessarily presents larger ra'e "a
deaths though perhaps in greater proportion 10 mum
bers than is found among residents of private dweuss
The Murray Hill section is exposed to many one"si'o
odOrs that must eso be considered injurious ~ 80 80
hea,th Of that community. But inspections careIuy
made have induced the Board OF HeaiIh W co"N uu0
that the stenches that annoying ana ln]uioss
that locality arise the other side OF the East hVer
and cannot be controlled by the authorities in this city
In instances OF this kind State Board OF Health wouiu
have Jurisdiction. The Brooklyn Board OF Health ssd
DR. lanes have been Informed OF the nuisances under
their control aud It is their business to abate them
or all the diseases that are adding to the city's
mortality dphtheria is the most prevalent In tue iast
letter OF the Registrar Vital Statistics to the Board or
Health diphtheria Is said be epidemic in this city,
From the country al around the disease reported 10
Inc raply increasing and accounts have been sent In OF
entire families that have been swept from the face OF
the earth by its In 1866 genuine cases or the
disease called diphheria rare and physicians OF
arge practice and wide observation declared that they
had never seen single Now this disease may be
termed epidemic In the seven years past 1t has been
neglect until it has reached Its present
malignant form.
Later reports to the Board Of Health show that in six
days of last week there &C deaths from dphthera
This an upon the mortality from that disease
and the records show that the disease has been steadily
spreading oT long time The rayages Of the disease have
differed from those by smallpox cholera owing to the
fact that yonng children mainly attacked. At an early
age there is less resistance the nroads of any disease
but diphheria seems 70 have been OF cbidhood's
deadest foes The heaviest mortality has been in the
tenement districts, while smallpox has found nome
chiefly in the cabins. many Of which are isolated
The maps that are kept in the sanitary bureau ndi-
the localities where the ravages of diphthera have
b,u greatest. Upon both sides OF the city the tene
n,nnt lists have suffered most Tde disease, how
ever has not b4e confined to these localities. but cases
ara scattered tho entIre length OF the city, with an
occasional outbreak upon the lsanuS III 'ho n'ioo,
The largest number OF cases upon !he "esI siuo
has been within a district between FOnrt~'
and Fftieth-stg and FIfth-aYe. ana the NOrtn
River On the East Side the map shows that
there has been tue. largest number OF between
Second and Thirty y-ffth-sts though there were
eases reported in the tenemeats in ne Fourtb Ward
While the number OF deat upon the east side for the
past few days ;,s exceeded that upon the west side'
those upon the east have been scattered up and
down the entire length OF the city, and those OF the west
side are grouped into corespODdngly small district,
crowded with tenements.
The deaths by smallpox for the six days mentioned
numbered only O. and from scarlet fever H. Physicians
say that the greatest difficulties they are obliged to
contend with in treating dphthera that they are
seldom called at sufficiently early stage Of the disease
and that the attendants the sick do not carry out
as efficiently as they should the sanitary measures that
are recommended. In case, in tenement, the fam
lily occupied only room There were three children
aged o and years respectively. The family all occu-
pied one room, ard they all slept in one bed, the
children lying az the foot. One of the children was
attacked with dphthera. and when the physician was
called the child had sick 4s hours In spite OF his
orders to separate the children they still permitted
TO sleep together. One after another died. and the
mother came very following the children This is
not an uncommon An eminent physician said II
the rich cannot be made understand the value and
necessity OF sanitary measures how much harder must
1t be TO convince the poor man, who often must make
great sacrifices TO carry ont the simplest orders for ds
infection, isolation. and ventationf
The question whether hospitals should be built at
once where patients can be taken from the crowded
tenements and Isolated and where they be treated
in such medical skill and advanced science
may suggest, is now being aGtated