The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-11-13


previous week l5 The following is comparative
nished by their secretary to the Board of Heath:-
No. of Deaths. 1879. 1875
Week ending November 8. .............. IS %
Week ending November l............. 30 ~
Week ending October 25.. % 16
Week ending October 49,. Is rs
No. Of Cases Reported. 1879. 1878
Week ending November S............... so As
Week ending November 1............... "a SO
Week ending October a.. IS At
Week ending October 49,. ............... 45 81
The secretary also states that the total number of
deaths out of the thirty expired weeks of this
year is 3s7. During the corresponding weeks Of
1878 1t $40. and in 1871. $751; Tho disease
to be prevalent this year in the Seventh ward
GUARDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
It is understood that the Sanitary Inspectors are
devoting the utmost vigilance and attention to the
exclusion OF diphtheria from the public schools. y
task in which their efforts materially aided by
the principals and teachers. According u sani.
tary regulation which has been In force for
many years. every teacher in the public
schools is required to Immediately notify
his or her principal whenever Q pupil Is
absent from the class. The cause Of such absence
is ascertained speedily possible. and If it be
found that the child is sick that fact we'll the
character Of the illness. is at reported. Tho
matter is then reported to the principal Of the
school, who makes daily report to the Board Of
Health of such of contagious disease
have been brought to his knowledge. The residence
of every sick pupil is reported and Health Inspec
tor visits the house. If he finds that the child
any contagious disease he reports the fact
to the school and the head Of the department to
which the pupil belongs is to exclude from
the school all children tf any) living in that
house, whether It be . detached cottage
q six story teneme,e. until such time as the
Sanitary Inspector shall report that tho patient has
recovered. oast that the danger Of contagon
longer exists. In this way the closest sanitary
supervision is maintained over all diseases of con-
| Among those whom the reporter called upon while
search Sa OF ns c was IN Occupy
who particularly requested that hts name be omitted.
TO general qusstiS,n, as to the prevalence Of
that it is here. In fact know that
thore is good deal Of it. and that in some Of the
wards there has lately been considerable increase
OF the disease. 1t is in some OF our best houses,
and has made Its appearance in streets that
cred well in those that not severed in low
localities and in high localities. In shanties well
| in brown stone fronts"
III really am ut q loss to know the cause"
do you think the disease is supsrinduced at the
ut rs said to come from sewer gas. but we have it
'.It is true that the malady is most prevalent in
| the Seventh wHrdY
.'rhat could not say. have not got the re-
cords with me-"
| "a TERRIBLE DISEASE"
"Have you personal knowledge that the disease
exists in any particular localtyY' e,
II have had only two cases in my own practice.
but have = good deal Of It in my time con-
sidering my age and professional experience. II is
terrible disease have had two fatal cases in the
Seventh ward one OF them being In wealthy fam
surroundings delightful and IN . sanitary sense
seemingly perfect. In this case the victim to the
disease was u fine boy OF fourteen"
els the ratio OF mortality large in proportion to
the number OF casesY
'.Thst ann not able to say. as hsvnt got the
Avrrr with no douh tha rtalit 10
is large The disease Is malignant in
often assumes what appears to be favorable phase
the physician looks forward to the speedy recovery
OF his patient. and after leaving the house returns
IN few hours perhaps to find him dead. The
adults have no exemption from It, The Hudson ave-
has been credited with being in acondition
to disease. but think 1t is admirably con-
structed. 1t Is u deep sewer. and large enough to
row boat in. should imagine that where II
face Of the ground. I don't think that there are
many cases OF the disease on Hudson avenue. Ac-
eorang to the report; there Is iess mortality
than there Is IN some OF the best and most elevated
localities in the CITY,"
lis the disease increasing very much?"
II don't think 1t Is largely on the increase, but
there has been an unusually large mortality for tho
HAS 1t. in your estimation. assumed an epidemic
foriny
termed epidemic"
at is ru,norcd that the Board of Health at its
session yesterday discussed the expedency OF estab
fishing quarantine in regard to certain districts of
the city where diphtheris is said " be most prev
alentY
There is not o word Of truth in it, Such a thing
as quarantining any part OF the city never
dreamed OF by any member of the Health Depart.
ment. 1t has never been suggested The Board
held meeting to-day. and while they disc used the
subject OF diphthera and regretted it's prevalence
they never for moment thought of such u
thing a. quarantning any portion OF tho city. This
1 will say however, that with prcventives un.
known, absolute causes unknown, treatment often
uncertain, it behooves every one to look well
to the tdiness OF their residences aud sur
roundngs and especially to the Plumbing
in and around their dwellings,. While sewer
gas In credited with causing large portion of this
disease, 1t frequently occurs where there IL no
sewer gas and where the surrounding are green
precautions, rs sewer gas must be pcrnicious ele
, | inent in any atmosphere.
SANITARY SUPERINTENDENT RAYMOND.
DIR. Raymond, Sanitary superintendent Of the
Brooklyn Board OF Health. said :-"Thc increase IN
cases OF diphthera has not been very marked. nor
Eighth ward. which borders on tho bay and has
the fresh sea breezos. is remarkably free from
diphtheria. The Twelfth ward, which Ia
largely made ground. Is also free from It,
simple soil saturation can't account for the
prevalence OF diphhera. for its vitality. Many
tion. In the Sixteenth ward there was great des
Of DIP hthcria until the LIST OF September; but since
then thcre has been a decrease. l watch the
deaths more than I do the number Of cases
reported. Physicians may report simple case
OF sore throat az dphthcria; but when o cas-,
results fatally less likely to be In error. There
have been several fatal tho seventh ward,
Flushing avenue Last year the disease was very
active in tho Twenty fifth ward but that ward IL
free from It, don't know what cause to attribute
the latter fact to-"
'Do you not mud sewer gas the cause Of much o.
I'VE lind now, rs we have always found, that tn,
great defect exists in the houses themselves coul'
; give dozens upon dozens Of instances wherein tn
plumbing IL defective. In February. 1875 IN NM
am well built house In y nice part OF this city tive
} children were takon sick with scarlatna
: One OF them subseq uently died from diph