Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-10

tenth of our population consists of persons
over so years of age. The rate OF mortality
Of those over so would be double that OF
those between the ages of 20 and oO: In the
world about SO per cent. OF all children Dorm
die tefore they attain the age OF 10.
When / first cane to Sacramento the popr-
laticn was Of men mostly, less than nifty
years of age. ana not acquainted with the
healthfulness Of other localities. In New
England, since was lad, the death. rate
from consumption has decreased. do not
think that the fevers have changed in San
Francisco.
Redirect examination Ito Mr.. Hart)-We
have adopted system of sewerage through
great many blocks with excellent sewer pipe;
we have filed in hundreds of low lots and
cellars, and improved the drainage canal. We
have an efficient health officer to sec that
THE LAWS OF HEALTH
Are observed, and have used various disin-
fectants. We have used the odorless excava-
tor wherever we thought it necessary. and
taken various precautionary measures to pro-
tect the health Of the city. We commenced this
systematic working by the health commission
some ten years age. We have also had q
system of vaccination enforced, which has
kept rs free from the ravages of smallpox
for great many years. Ia the last State Re
port it is stated that about four per cent.
of all deaths are cansed by typhoid. Sacra-
msnto formerly was q kind Of a hospital for
the whole interior. There were three private
hospitals in the city. The sipsge water, IN my
opinion, has increased in this city at least i've
feet. The sipage water affects our vaults dur
ing the winter and rainy season.
Recross Ito Mr. Belcher)-I do not wish to
be understood that include in sipage water
all the water that falls within the city. [ do
not know about the system of sewerage used
in other towns of this State. The first or
ganized attempt to use sewer-pips was six or
seven years ago. There was no attempt
made for q law regulating vaccination until
the time l spoke of. when the Board of Edu-
cation of this city passed q resolution making
that basis of admission to the public schools.
DIR. F. W. HATCH
Sworn-I have been practicisg physician
since 1913. l am graduate OF the New
York University. l have besn practicing in
this city since 1858 have been a member
of the State Beard of Health and also of the
Board CT Health of Sacramento city. 1 saw
the Sacramento river first in 1851. The
American and Sacramento rivers have both
filed up in their channels TO great extent.
] have been member of the City Board Of
Health with the exception Of one year, con-
tinuously sincs its organization. The ground
or sipage water is much higher now than
formerly. The sewage Of the city also has
been interfered with very materially. Both
OF these effects are caused by the raising OF
the bed il the river. The mouth of the
SEWAGE CANAL
Being considerably elevated, the flow in the
sewage canal has been greatly retarded.
When first caue here, in digging cesspools
Of oh n CHI -Er rs TOW,
feet. Now we ind wster very much nearer
the surface. The matter in the sewers does
not flow so rapidly as formerly, and decom-
poses to o great extent in the sewers and
canal. This has caused q very deieterious
effect. In some years we have noticed more
typhoid fever and other low form OF fevers.
These changes are frequent when the sewage
is interfered with, as was the case in the win.
ter of 1878. This change in the nature of
fevers has been gradual. [ think that the
elevation OF the sipaee, or ground water, has
rendered the ground wetter and the atmos-
phere more damp. We see less true remit
tent or Intermittent fever than formerly.
The typhoid types OF the disease have in
creased. The stopping of tina sewers causes
an overflow and leaves great deal Of foul
matter on the surface. The dampness Of the
ground by sipage causes msiaria.
Cross.examination (by W. Q. Belcher)-
am OallN9 OF VI FgIlla. L prAcIlc6u II
1S43 at Rock River, in Wisconsin. The
American river is filed up 70 the top of it's
banks at the old mouth. The causes of It's
filing up, to certain extent, is owing to the
formation of the new mouth. think the
ground water, or bipage, is regulated by the
hight of the river. We have sewers on
the alternate streets from Font TO Thirteenth
street and cross sewers in the alley. The
grade of the sewers now is less than ten
inches to the block. 1he grade of the old
| sleughs I never knew. The filing in of the
streets, to certain extent, destroyed in Ger.
tain places, the percolation Of the water. The
| grade of the sewers remains the same to-day as
originally established. The canal below the
city has been cleaned out several times. The
canal runs four miles before it reaches the
! first lake. This canal overlooked a great
many times between 1860 and 1870 The
entire fall of the canal below the city and
throughout the length Of the lake is
perhaps five feet. The fall of the canal
is SO slight that sven in former times it
would have to be cleaned out. The inter1nit-
tent and remittent fevers are generally prev-
aleht in newly Located places and in new ag.
ricultural locations Afterwards they give
place to low or typhoid fevers. Suffer lake,
in early days, mad natural outlet. That
outlet has been closed. and it has some effect
on the city's sipege. The death rate has va
ried in different years. I have here mortal
ity report of Sacramento from 1868 to 1881: