The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-13

The annual death rate Of New York Is
now about "a in the thousand Of population
II the chief prcvcutablc causes " disease
were removed and hygicnic principles were
not pcrsistcnty violated in the construction
OF the vast majority Of the dwellings Of the
city and by the manner of life really forced
on their occupants the rate ought speedily
to fall to at least % in the 1000; and even
that would be much above the Inevitable
percentage Of mortality, which should not
exceed II in the LOCO.
Yet, considering the circumstances, the
death rate of New York is not much
higher than might be expected. The re-
cent public discussion of our tenement
house system has brought out the statistics
to show that about half the population of
the city are crowded into dwellings which
contain over three families living and cook
ing their own food. \ large part Of these
people are utterly unable to observe the
laws Of health. and infant life especially
has the chances against IL when the strug-
gle for existence is made amid such sur
roundngs. or the deaths reported last
year, 1851 occurred in tenement houses,
l,3l3 in public institutions. and 5000 In
private houses over ility-thrce per cent.
OF the years mortality was therefore in tcnc-
mcnts; but as the public institutions get
almost all their patients from tcncmcnts we
are justified in adding the number ~ deaths
i'm them 10 the largest total. So doing. we
find that ever sixty-nlnc per cent of the
mortality in New York or moro than two
thirds, occurs among the tenement house
population, though they comprise hardly
hn hp Z al of tftl ul
But bad as this showing is. it is an inn
provcment on that We wcrc able to make ten
or fifteen years ago. though since that time
large number Of tenement houses have
been built after plans in most eases in no re-
spcct less Objectionable than those Of the
older dwellings Of this class. Prof. CHAND-
LER. the President OF the Board OF Health
claims that by reason of sanitary prccau-
tion, over $4,000 deaths have been prevented
in the city In four years: and infautlle NOR
tality the best test Of the efficiency Of a sys-
tenn OF sanitation, has declined from over
ilfy-two per cent OF all the deaths in 1868 10
something above forty-ilyc per cent in 1875.
Thus, though we must contend against
a degree of overcrowding which in some
parts Of the city exceeds that OF the most
donscly pcoplcd quarters Of London. yet
owing largely to the saubrious situation
Of New York our death ratio is not very
greatly in advance Of that Of the English
metropolis. Our mortality Is now about q
in the 1000 while that Of London for the
last week of 1878 was 23.5, an increase Of
nearly one per cent. on the average Of the
preceding seven years
Some facts and estimates regarding the
number OF sick brought out by Prof
CHANDLER are interesting. Sir WILLIAM
WILDE had the census of Dublin taken IN
single night, and found an average OF
twenty-five persons out of every thousand
sick that evening. Apply that ratio to New
York and we should have $1,000 sick all the
time. For every death that occurs there are
ON the average. from twenty-scvcn 10
thirty cases OF illness, so that the 1000
deaths IN New York last year represented
total II 100000 sick. When We seek To sum
up the evils wrought 10y a detective public
hygiene We must, therefore, not forget To-
take into the account the loss Of time and
strength due TO diseases which PROSTATE
but do not kill; and n v,sy large proper
ton OF these is brought about 10y causes
which may be removed.
II we can euro the evils Of our tenement
house system, or substitute furdt better
and more hcalthful one. and, at the same
time, adopt and enforce proper system Of
sanitary law, New York Will speedily show
a death rate as low a. that Of any city In
the world, if not lower