The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-05
SANITARY REFORMS.

| We have received froin the Board Of Health
| the annual report Of that body. The pamphlet
covers about 1--WE hundred printed pages. and
embraces the report of The President. Dr.
Samuel Chopin. the reports Of tho sanitary
| inspectors the sectptary's financial. ,nortuary
| and meteorological reports, and d very valua-
bic paper from Dr. j. Jones Oh smallpox.
We have had only time To glance over the
report of tho president Ut the board and to
/ note some Of the very important statements
! and recommendations therein contained The
| great service rendered the city by tho present
Board Of Health last summer entities the
views and suggestions Of It's able and distp-
guished president, iii all matters appertaining
to the sanitary management Of the city and The
powers of the board, 10 the highest ponsideta-
tiuh.
The three subjects Of tho greatrat aad
most immediate Importance pressed upon
Tho attention of the Legislature are
/, Reform In the manner of inspecting
stock and slaughter houses .. The alp
pointment of quarantine physicians e.
Compulsory vaccination and revaeeination
The recommendation relative to the inspee-
ton of stock and slaughter-houses imprcsses
Ms az SO wise and necessary that no comment
is required further than TO direct tho attrn-
tion of the Legislature to the clause OF the
report referring 70 the subject.
Relative TO tho auaratne physicians. the
report suggests that they should be appoint
cd by The Board Of Health. That body Ia
held responsible for the faithful and judicious
administration Of quarantine, often involving
4, a
volving the conflicting interests Of the public
health and those of commerce, II would
seem just that the board, which always incurs
censure and blame for errors. negligence or
atbitratineas In these matters, should have
u controlling voice IN the selection of Its
agents The report further claims, and 1t ia Il
matter ofsno mean Importance, that If the
selection of quarantine physicians la given to
the board. that body can employ physicians
fully competent for the duty and save on tho
salaries now paid from $4,000 to $4,000 per
annum
Tho viows advanced by DR.. Chopin in
favor of II law compelling all persons to be
vaecinated should command the prompt at.
tention Of the Legislature. We have not had
time to read DR. Jones paper on smallpox,
which constitutes part Of this report, but we
reproduce herewith the interesting and inn
portant facts and arguments upon which DR.
Chopin bases his recommendation to the
General Assembly 10 pass this law. The re-
port says:
Both vaccination and revaccination should be
made compulsory. and II Is earnestly hoped
that the existing law will be so amended by the
present Legislature "a to make II SO, As nm ar
revaceination. the following facts will suffice:
Before the enaetments In england rendering
yaeci ma compulsory. n tie city Of Lon.
present population. tho annual mortality from
number Of deaths from all causes. and the to-
tai mortality in England from small poS aver
aged annually three thousand deaths out OF every
million Of the population. This proportion has
vaccination to less than t,co hundred per million
In Sweden. before vaccination was enforced the
average annual deaf rate from small pox was
since. about one hundred and fifty per million
In Westphalia, where the smallpox death rate
used to be two thousand six hundred and forty |
three per million, ID has been reduced to only |
one hundred and fourteen. In Bohemia. Moravin |
and Austrian silesia 1t has been reduced in like
twenty -two to two hundred. III Denmark. from
three thousand one hundi ed and twenty-eight
per million to two hundred and eghty-six: and
in Prussia from three thousand four hundred
six tSae Vaccination VS.. Small ox. by w. J. |
Asdalc, nj. ID.
nude compulsory In 1864. In Scotland for ten |
years previous the yearly average OF deaths |
from smallpox was one thousand and Atty |
four. In 1868 1t fell to one hundred and seven |
~ Ave. In 1867 to one hundred and twenty |
four. In 1868 to Twenty-Five" Tn Ireland for |
the ten years previous to compulsory yaccina- |
ton the annual mortality from small pox had |
been Ave thousand eight hundred. From 1910 |
to 1850. three thousand eight hundred and /
twenty-seven. From 1850 to 1860 one thousand /
two hundred and seven y-two. In 1867 it was |
reduced to twenty: In 1868, to nineteen,
In the late Franco Prussian war Sherman |