New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-11-30
DbEAsEs rH4T NAY BE CHECKED.
INTERESTING FACTS Shows By srATI5TIcs-CAUsE:
OF CONTAGION.

OF CONTAGION.
Recent weekly health reports show a sudden and
somewhat startling increase in the number Of deaths
by scarlet fever and dphtheria. These diseases are
clalsed as conagous they are therefore, PREVENT
BE if efficient sanitary regulations be enforced.
Also that condition OF tine human system which
renders il most liable 10 the attack of those diseases.
is often due TO inhalng habitually a vltlated A.
neutrality-suspicious. tainted with malaria or sewer
gas. Hence from another point of view. it appears
that the prevalence of the diseases Is due 20 neglect
Of sanitary precautions. These dangers are much
enhanced by sGddeu changes in the weather,
and especially IN temperature and humidity
such changes are usual feature of our climate
at certain seasons OF the year; the approach
and the close OF Winter being this re-
spcct most strongly marked IL follows that
the most vigorous efforts need to he made 30 those
periods Of the year. by our sanitary authorities. II
the diseases in question 10 Dee kept down. The
number Of deaths from scarlet fever IN this city
rose, comparing the week ending November ! : with
its predecessor. from p to - an increase Of 1876
per cent. In Brooklyn a ike comparison shows a
much smaller iucrease-about 30 per cent. Ia
respect 20 diphthcra in the period, tho increase
in this city was Is per cent; IN Brooklyn II per
cent As there Is q recognized relation OF character
between the two diseases, and they sometimes
attack patient simultaneously it VIII no. bee am5s
to estimate them as II they were one. From that
point Of view the increased loss OF life for the TWO
cities was II per cent in week The increase in
this ci-y for the week ending November - was
still greater the deaths being very nearly double
those of the week ending November 10.
OF the % persons, mostly children, who died from
these proveutU,c diseases the week before last, IN
tho two cites II Is certain that az least hundred
were the victims Of a deficient sanitary management
/ al. a +Iu
direc. ly responsible. Some OF these lives sac
rifccd 10 the dirty streets in a general way the
mortality Of a city is proportional TO It's dirt. A
student OF statistics has recently investigated the
causes of the varying dsath-rates If our different
cities Zoe concludes, for instance, as 10 Chicago,
that its excess If deaths B. due organic pOisons in
the air cmauatiug from slaughter houses, glue fac
tories stagnant water and like nuIsances. There Is
never any zion about these matters With people
who have studied the figures they always Rad the
same form of equation 50 much dirt equal to 80
many deaths.
But flth may be equally Dernic.ols, though in
visible. The dangers of sewer gas have been more
widely recognized since it came near causing the
death of Euglands Crown Prince. Bat typhoid
fever is not the only disease to be feared where
sewer gas penetrates. In Brooklyn last week, two
cases If diphtheria were reported at house in the
/
drest sort. On examining the plumbing Of the
house the discovery was made that there were no
traps III the pipes leading TO the from one OF
the water-coset- from the two WasLtub-, and from
the sink Similar deceit has been found IN the
plumbing OF several Other houses In one instance
a butchers shop and fish stand was found to have
Its waste pipes leading directly, without traps to
the sewer; Of course the meat and fish were always
exposed TO the foul gas, and the tenants Of that
building we're constantly annoyed by the bad
smells which finally provoked the inyestlga-
ton. Tie Brooklyn authorities propose 10 pro
secute She plumbers who have done such
shameful work. their licenses Will, at all events De
revoked. But, even where the plumbing IS fairly
doue, there may be sudden occasions OK extra pres
sure or suction from the sewer that would empty
the traps Ii is said that certain factories IN this
city allowed to turn their steam into the ser eFs
such proceeding would probably empty the trtp'
in all the plumbing ~ whole Listuct-irst by the
increased pressure from tine steam, ana altet IT,
passage bT suction. a. To- the amount 0i gas tnat
NAV accumulate m sewers, the recent Instance IN
IiyrrpOol, where n lighted match thrown down q
seWtI-gratIng caused au explosion, Indicates tAat
| there nay be enough to bum I1r some hours al
! time. -., o...
ties, has just announced discovery when seems to
be- of significance. Dividing the year into quarters
be finds ihat the summer record of deaths 10y scar
leo fever gives only about bdt the aNeIagt OF tHo
quarter preceding IN the first week ot the SUMMER
quarter there were twelve deaths m the LAST week
al il only three. but shortly afterward the larger
/ numbers are renewed. There Is jump IN ne sta-
tIsi,s after the summer quarter D. passed. IL r. ger
/ tany more than an accidental come dehce lha'
/ this Summer quarter, when the deaths arc
so few. is the period when the schools are
closed: and that the increase OF nhoItihtf ueal"3
L,tIt after tine schools are opened IN the ali, ana
/ continues until the next summer vacation IT
stuart believes thar TIE fever o, propaSAteu I'D We
schools; the figures point 10 tuat toI'lusiou; nc
.pr.ad Of the disease cOuld doubtless be checked IN
rt II sricter regulations were enforced to exclude
scholars coming from families OF houses Whelr lnee
= -cariet fever III as much trouble were taken %
olate eases of that disease a there Is taken Win
/ regard To yellow fever. 1t might be made almost
| equally rare ; and the same Is probably True Oh