Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-03-15
HEALTH OF MEMPHIS.
Statistics snd Faets-Interesting Cor
respOndence between Lead
ing Physicians.

The particular and earnest attention OF
the press of the whole Union is called to the
following correspondence between Dr. E.
Miles Willett, one OF our leading ana best
known physicians, and DR.. R. II. TAYLOR, sec
retary OF the board of health. Every mer-
chant should send copy OF this days P
PEAL, with this marked, to his customers and
correspondents:
DEATH-RATE OF THE VARIOUS CITIES.
CDR. Charles P. Russell gives a tabulated
statement OF the mortality of the various
states OF the Union, IRON which we Borrow
the Following regarding the death rate of va
r1Ous cities: The highest death. rate in ls72
was exhibited by Memphis, where the deaths
were $50 in each thousand inhabitants. Other
cities followed in this order: Savannah, S9,2:
Aleksburg, 3O.4; Troy, 80: Hoboken, 32s. New
66oEk, 81 Newark, 36l; New Orleans, 300;
Boston, S0.5. The rate for Philadelphia was
only ~ Brooklyn, 2Sl; ; st. Louis 201; Chica-
60, H.oi Baltimore, 251; Cincinnati % 8: Ssn
I1H SIraheiseo, ~. Ihis compares not unfsvora-
Dly win the mortuary statistics of British
cities, where the lowest rate was 81 a: that OF
LONDON, Bombay and Calcutta, show only
- ana . respectively. The highest known
6S.9'' AiA'So' Oniil'
MEMPHIS, Tenn. March II, 1874.
Dr. X. H. Taylor, Secretary OF the Board of
Health, Memphis, Tennessee:
DEAR SIR-Be kind enough to give me your
opinion with regard ts the lnclosed statement
concerning the mortality in the CITY OF Mem
phlS during the year lS72.
- Flrst-ln what manner and by whom were
Second-Has it not always been the duty of
Ine secretary OF the board OF health to pre-
serve and publish this record9
Inird-Was there a secretary or board of
he2lth during that year2 II not, is il probable
that statistics on this subject obtained from
any other source could be cOrreetP
Fourth-in your mortuary report do Won
always include the list of deaths in the State
hospital? If so, to what extent Is the sggre-
gate nst OF mortality thereby increased, and
what is the relative proportion Of deaths in
the city and the hCspttQIs
Flfth-Are not all of the patients at the
St8te hospital necessarily non-residents?
Please reply at your earliest convenience,
and thereby oblige, yours very respectfully,
Z. MILES WILLETT, NJ. p.
MEMPHIS. March II, 1874.
DR.. E. Miles Willett:
DEAR SIE-Your letter of to-day, asking nv
official opinion in regard to the exteusiYeIy-
circulated death-rate report of DIR. Charles p
Russell, Is this moment received. l shall en-
deaVor 10 answer your pertinent inierrogRtO-
ries as explicitly as the facilities of this Office
Will admit OF. also thank you, sir, for the
opportunity OF refuting rumOrs and sO-called
STATISTICS, 80 unreliable and pref judicial TO the
great commercial interests OF our city.
F1-si-I have no knowledge of the existence
OF any mortuary statistics Tor the year 1872.
Second-Ihe secretary of the board OF health
is at present, and, believe, always has been,
the constituted authority for collecting and
preserving mortuaTy returns.
Thlrd-From January /, 1859, to July l,
1873, the health officer of the city OF
Memphis was suspended, SO there could
have been no secretary. Certainly there is
not in this office, between those dates, the
record of single death. do not see how
any other statistics can be reliable.
Fourth-I always include in my re-
not having sufficient time to rem
der you complete statement for the
year, have selected two months-OctOber
last, when the city suffered so heavily from
yellow-fever, and January, a month Of ordi-
nary healthfulness, and l find the deaths at
me hospital constituted twenty per cent. Of
Fifth-The original design of the hospi-
tai was for homeless ana sick strangers
put OF late citizens have been adm Tilted there
sun, large majority OF the inmates are non.
residents, coming to this city by the
several railroads terminating here, and
brought also by steamboats, from
the numerous plantations along our
great water-course, all usually desperately
SICK and many dying by the time they reach
the hospital. Our apparent mortality Is also
materially increased, or was last year, by in
eluding in the city reports, the deaths at the
county hospital, place located six miles in
the country, and con ntsining inmates from the
whole county OF Shelby.
Now, sir, having categorically and hurried
~ answered your several questions, permit me
for moment 10 refer TO DR.. RusselPs extraor-
d1naTy publication. How the doctor OBJ aimed
his Information 1 am unable to say. He or
bis agent, since L have had charge of the
once, never looked into the books, and Ihave
been unable 10 md among my predecessors
any who ever exhibited the records OF the
health once 10 him. His enormous death
rate must either be entirely hypothetical, or
based upon some very unreliable authority.
Dr. Mitchell, when secretary, made the only
pro rata report ever rendered 10 the general
council, and / think his death rate was be-
tween tWenty-three and twenty-five, about
hslf now charged upon us. / hope shortly TO
make another estimate, and feel satisfied that
the present rate will not much, if any, exceed
DR.. MitcAell's, which places us, II DR.. Russell
speaks reliably OF other cities, far below
many prominent places, beth in the United
and transatlantic States, instead of next to
unhappy Valparaiso.
have the honor to be your friend,
RICHARD H. TAYLOR, NJ. D.
Secretary Board of Health.