New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-08-02
THE CITY'S HEALTH.
heath RATE COMPARING FAVORABLY
WITH OTHER PLACES.


vvs,,vrcrrSr SoUYIsHMENT AND UNCLKANLI
vrss THE PRINCIPAL CAUsEs-DIsTRIcTs WHERE
swAII.pox STILL LINGERs-wHAT HAS BEEF
DoyR IN THE WAY OF Observation-Disclosures
REMAINING IN TENEMENT QUARTERS.
The general health of this city is better thu
SIMMER than Il has been for many years before INT
humidity has been greater than usual but the tempera
ture has not been excessive. The mortallty ior Uni
month Of July always been greater than that ior I'M
month Of June and this year has proved TO be no excep
on IN the rule During the hot weather in this city thu
mortality from diarrheal diseases is usually the largest
This season deaths from smallpox and dphtheris ar
added Week before last, the report Of Dr. ELL
shs Harris, Register OF Vital Statistics, SHOWS
the total mortality Of this city was 200
Children under five years OF age died rom oarrhea
diseases to the number Of sol, over onehaf the toa
mortality. Smallpox was the cause OF 80 aea.ns' anu
dphtheria Of the same number Taking the deaths from
these three special causes from the total there remain
pnly ss2 deaths from general diseases and ordinary
causes This for population OF over l'oooooo'
makes smaller death- ate than can be SHOWN IN any
other city In country The Board OF Health ana tne
prominent physicians of this city who have studied these
matters carefully have concluded that they can con-
roI af this season the three special OF NOR
taity referred TO- they will confer great benefit upon
the city.
The great infantile mortality occurs mainly In the ten
fment districts The largest number OF cases OF deaths
from darrhea disease has been reported from the Nine
teenth Ward. The Thirteenth Fourteenth, Sixteenth,
twenty first Twenty second, and Twentyfourth wards
follow closely. The other Wards have been compar-
syey free from deaths Of this sort The greatest num-
Der of cases Of darrhea disease have been found IN ten
,ments containing from eight TO ten families but the
location has had considerable influence upon the
death rate. Very few If any cases Of death
from this cause have been reported from houses
containing only one family. prominent ply
Ician said on Friday that poverty and neglect
are the true causes OF the large mortality among children
nnder years of age The hard times and the scarcity
Of work compel the mothers TO search for work. to labor
from morning until night in order 10 obtain the means OF
bare Subsistence The infant, at the most critical time
Of its e is left to the uncertain care OF one OF the other
children, and is TO be neglected Is scantiy ed
and what food gets is Of such bad quality that In
stead Of nourishing it only irrtates the alimentary
canal The hot weather attacks with its debiitating IN
fnence the pOory fed. weakened constitution OF the
neglected child, and il is hurried into its grave
There Is large part OF this city -that
covering the central division OF the island between Third
and Eghth-aves-wich is considered by physicians 10
be as healthy any part Of this country This quarter
is well drained, and there very few tenemens within
its boundaries The mortality in this district has always
been very small There have been very few cases OF dp
iberia or smallpox reported within its limits and hardly
any deaths from daIrheal diseases on the east side OF
the city tencments thickly planted, some or them
heiug crowded with than 30 families. Here the
ds,ths from darrheal diseases reach an appalling num-
r Tho infants three months old die in hosts ana those
from rie 10 twelve months Of together with those
who are ussng through the period of dentitio perish
IN large Numbers On the west side OF the city, Also
there are many arge and badly constructed tenemehts
where the mortality always been very great IN not
weather.
physicians who attend the sick in the tenements give
1irful statements Of poverty and want that prevail so
l,t-Sici sal
the infant each dav was fed only upon table spoonful
~ condensed milk dissolved in quart OF water III
lived upon this daily supply for six months growing
thinner daily and then died The mothers ne AIDED are
not able to supply their offspring with natural 1ood-h
which case the infant is fed upon condensed mk-or they
are so poorly fed themselves that they can give htte
nouushment TO their children In either case what should
No nonrshment is only an ritnt and the child dies OF
some one Of the many of diarrheal disease In the
tenement districts il is easy TO point out the nianIs anat
proper n0urslnent. Their faces look pinched ana
drawn esides the want proper = dd t nc
other causes that are hurryng 50 many 10 uea.h, 4.
hoped however by the Board OF Health that tne maxi
I'm rate Of mortality has been reached and that as the
feber nfants have already died the number OF deaths
will grow less, and will not be affected oy any riSe III
RAvaGYs OF SMALLPOX.
smalIpex has been epidemic for many weeks in the
Tenth Thirteenth, seventeenth. and Eleventh wards
There have been isolated in other wards, but the
disease has not been of sufficient viruience to attract at
n, t,o or deaths from SMALLPOX last week. the
""''o"' -, 49, os ropued hetween Hester and Grand
sis Chryste-st and secOndave.. Fourteenth-st, Ave
me d. and Coumbast. This district is occupied mainly
py ioies . a. on orran ,ri,ders who crowd
to"eber into the smallest possible space
b;ns t,oy can exsf In such district it has been
sound dncult matter to eradicate smallpox, but the
Charts Of The Vaccnating Corps have been successful In
conan,nc In within certain boundaries The moment that
are discovered they reported to the Board OF
Health and the Ambulance Corps Immediately removes
the patient the Riverside Hospital inc RECORDS OF
this hospital show that the mortality there mas Deen
much smaller than when patients are treated al nome.