New-York tribune., 1876-08-23
MORTALITY AMONG CHILDREH

vrrws AND PLANS or THE BOARD OF HEALTH.
The records of the Bureau of Vital Statistics
for the past two weeks show mortality OF over 2oo
from diarrhea diseases alone in this city or TINS mum
ber more % per cent Children undci h'e years
of age This large mortality among young children mas
been commented upon very generally, ana the reason
why this should be in city otherwise a. healthy as
Now.York has often been asked. DR.. T.. q. Janeway,
Health Commissioner Of this city, has been pursuing
careful investigation OF this subject esnecaly during 'he
past six weeks with the view Of discovering what SAM
tary defect II any was causing thS hFoa'
upon the infant population ana oi remeo! ,ns
ar aleyiatng the same tar as might
be In the power the Board Of Health To accomplish
this more certainly 30 physicians were employed Dy the
Board OF Health To visit tenement houses. In many
case. II was found that little good advice was hecitu
more than medicine Women appeared to pe ut'r9
Ignorant of what their Infants needed, and allowed theh
10 suffer when often little care would nave "p''eo All
cause OF trouble. Many were provided win excursion
tickets and the physicians reported that great heheh
was received from these trips. Others were told TO take
their infants down to staten Island aud back or across
the ferries to Jersey CITY Brooklyn The dimnu'ioh
in the mortality of the infant population hegh 10 'e ny
.arent AT the end Of a week II was an experiment but
the Health Commissioners state that they are so wei
satisfied with tn, work performed that they sAa maze
provision for similar Dut Dihre systematic WORK next
summer extending through the entire three months.
that the state OF the Croon water this Summer had had
any dccterous influence upon the inhabitants OF this
city During the weeks when mortality was gro'eSI
the water had neither bad taste nor bad smell President
Chandler stated that he ha caresy Inspected the GRO
ton watershed and had not found any possible ehance
for the water to he rendered impure ~ any wa'hinss
from that section OF country. The Croon water had
been carefully watched by the Board Of Health, and
every day an analysis of II had been made 10y conl"
tent chemist. who had reported tue result 10 rf5snn
A.flt
ous 10 lilc had yet been found IN these analyses
and therefore the Board Of Health iad sen no no
nrcusion to Interfere. The di-aEteeablc taste had
resulted from the nostoc, pani lhl'F,nousC 90 ="
., Craton which impirts ITS havor to the wafer ,oia-
,,s.onrr Ianevay added that. by comparison oi Tue
mortality Of children under Use year, OF age iFu dia
rheal diseases In this city II had ogen n-5ei,,p ' @
yc y M n m =, tbs class from diarrhcal ,lisc,scs
haa great - In the month OF Juy lS'-
This mortality Tor the month OF July lusl plssen
was over 1000 from the cause. IL must also be
cou-i tered that ths year there Was an heredrrh 1n
ls7O for the month ~ July, the mortality Of tir ca-S
wac only 200. In 1865, thou n the tchpc'i tt vas
oven hisAcr than other years ethe. b,io.r or
ateryasd the mortality OF this class was even c,s man
1870. Commissoncr Jaueway said that pil si,ihls
thi- class trmrcaure was nigh and the degree OF
moisture recorded was extremely hsh Hlso ,ua' Was
the IN 1872. In the month oi JuIy Oh uat sc,l
tue record showed greater a.eragf mostHl" IN
tho atmo,phcro than had been eAhl1tcd uuf'hs ~
thai month for many years preceding or i9lo"hs IN il
I-Gs the month oi July remarkably dIy ana thls
month III IL 90 uhtl iu
d.yfr- thi. wear From these eNhlbIts phys clans at
thuied excessive mortality in young cnildrtn from
biri,. disease. To the state Of the atmosphere III
yoyiug buta ougcontinucd high temperature aud an
unusual amount of moisture. Ne lrct, exposure 10 tlc
uiyt air aud want of proper nOushing food, quickly
affected young children, whose bodies had never known
proper treatment, ami great inofty stAlsten among
~, IA whrnrN eray conditions present against which
IL ,yos unnecessary oppose good siuuou. "Ihc
experiments of the Board 0i Health, Commissioner
J,ncway concluded. nave demonstrated the clciency
of his plans ln house, ohouse visitation The board has
now lis yarcinang CORPS whicn Ia the colder weather
has controlled the ravaEcs of smallpox, ana by regular
organized corps of fy visiting pys.caus II hopes TO
Greatly lessen the mortality children from didr-
fh,.l di.ea.rs next Summer The members OF the
board stated that they haa been greatly crippled TINS
ini- wear by the Of necessary funds TO carry out
mi. Sor bat tns II 10 bc obN laed hy pro-
vision IN s estimate OF expenses comm hslohcr Jane
way h sim ,u.ld in hi, investigations into the
of the spread OF dphtaera among The children III ths
I l.ffN