New-York tribune., 1882-03-06
THE DEATH RATE RISING.
STARTLING INCREASE FOR TWO MONTHS

|
ruary 3,3O5, making total of 6003. For the
months of January and February 1881 the total
number of deaths reported was 1894. This shows
an increase Of 500 month for the last two months
Dr. Nage, the Assistant-Register of Vital Statistics
and other health officials say that this is far too
large a number to be accounted for by any increase
In the population of the city. In order TO learn If
any definite reasons could be given for this largo
death rate, the views of several leading physicians
were obtained
| DR.. Alonzo Clark said: "I know Of no especial
reasons for this increase in the death rate. So far
as know there has been no epidemic. January
and February usually healthful months, except
| for tendency to pneumonia, and except when
contagious diseases like scarlet fever prevail. al
though June is the healthiest month in the year.
| don't think the condition of the streets
has anything to do with the enlarged
death rate. Filth diseases caused only In
houses in winter In former years when the streets
were piled with garbage there appeared little
direct increase in mortality. Nor do I think the
| city Is badly severed. There is sewer In Madi-
son-ave, out of Thirty-frst-st. which was re-
ported In bad condition years ago. but gen.
ersl thing the sewers have An even fall and work
WELL I believe there is necessarily nothing pecu-
liarly bad about New-YOrk IN regard TO malartal
disorders AS to the plumbing lead pipes Will wear
out, of course, but they being changed for iron
pipes. do not regard New-York as an especially
unhealthy city, for the crowdng of people to-
gether in the tenement houses. Some cases Of
smallpox are always to be expected Some months
ago it seemed almost entirely stamped out but this
winter 1t has spread again to some extent. l have
received no tables showing the prevalence of diff
fercnt diseases later than January 81. But looking
at these see no extraordinary increase in the
Jao tba In A ~
time is winter. when all the windows are kept
tightly closed. The mortality is great
est among children. usual. The fact
| that the winter has bceG mild | believe has
nothing to do with the increased death rate nor has
the absence of snow The annual death rate thirty
| two in 1000, is high, but know of no particular
reasons for the large rate in the last two months
will you kindly preach sermon to the readers
tering the office of DR.. Lewis Sayre while at the
same time the figures of the increased mortality for
| the last two months were shown him.
so far as the weather goes" said DR. Sayre, -
| think stationary clear cold weather is much better
than succession of varying temperatures. Now, we
have had days Of intense cold. when people dressed
very warmly Then there was q sudden change,
but people would keep their heavy clothing on for
time, becoming debiltatod in consequence. and
| came on. Then, the furnace heat has been con-
that 1 believe furnace heat has as M much to
| do as anything with killing our people.
| Furnaces should only be used in the coolest
weather so as TO heat the walls of the house
enough to keep the water-pipes from freezing.
Then enough cold air Will squeeze IN 10 protect the
inmates against the deleterOus effects of furnace
air. But at other times open fires are enough 10
keep people warm. And if the furnaces are kept
going in mild weather there Is absolutely no pure
air obtained. These changes in temperature are
provocative of congestion and rheumatism.
"One great cause of injury IL the health OF the
people Is the ignorance shown by the municipal
Government in dealing with the snow; Snow Is a
good thing for comfort and healthfulneSs If
] nlr..I and
ridden over: The cutters should be kept clean lhe
snow should be rolled down with hard rollers, Civ
ing it an oval surface Then, when it Is rolled hard
either wheels or runners could be used, aud the
snow would be a means of health and enjoyment, as
has been shown in the Park. But to allow the
stage proprietOrs TO scrape the snow from Fifth
ave. and throw it into the cutters is siwply OUT
rageous. A few weeks ago there were mountains of
snow. packed hard IN the cutters from rom
kept men from their own houses, and when n thaw
began these cutters became lakes of standing wa
ter since they were kept from relieving themselves
by the frozen snow and ice with which they were
CuOked up. And every body gets wet feet in these
puddles, while if the snow, were, left rolled
has been mixed with the snow, making Ireezlng
mixture terrible for the feet OF horses and people
| have a horse now laid up with a frozen foot.
And the exhalaiOns from the liquid streets, with
the debris contained III theIl, make moist atmOS
phere which may prod luce bronchial troubles al
though can't positively say whether this has any
thing TO do with the greater deathrate.
Now then, rapidly varying temperature and
ChOked cutters are TWO evils, 70 WnlCn may be add
ed choked-up sewers. Our sewers as rule. are
badly built In summer they are flushed but IN
winter chOkcd up, and the rain-water doesn't es-
CAPE nOXlOu5 gases now back 10 the houses, and IN
consequence people have lessened power of
s5tlng diseases; their vitality Is lowered. lhe
sewers are at the foundation Of the
healthest city in the world. 1t was made so by
nature, with backbone Of stone, and soplng land
on each side down to rapid rivers and the bay. II
natural advantages Of the lay OF the ground had
been utilized, We should have larger and "a better
city. Its curse that 1t has been made level and
laid out IN this rectangular way. We should have
avalled ourselves OF the old water courses. The
sewers could have followed them, the streets run
nlng through the lower parts OF the surface and the
houses being on higher ground. Now many of cur
best houses built artificial ground, over Old
water courses, the gases from which rise and poison
the inmates. wouldn't buy the best lot IN the city
without carefully udying General NIeles map,
which shows the old water courses. We ought 10
have our houses IN the middle OF the city, and com
merce along the rivers. Instead, business is push
ing straight uptown, and Thompson, Greenwich and
baxteT-sts. remain used as they were
hundred years ago for dwelIlng-houses. On
Harlem Helghts and IL the lower part
system of leyelling and grldlIonlng the surface OF
the ground. Only the other day saw three beau
titul heights with corresponding valleYs-deLghtlul
places for houses which were being destroyed. And
all these improvements result IN such heavy taxes
and assessments that 1t ruins man to own real es
tate But To come back 10 the death rate my reasons
for the Increase would be the changesn the wealth
er, choked-up CUTTERS bad sewers and the way they
are arranged"
Dr. tOrdyce Barker said: The character of my
practice Is such that cannot speak authOritativey
on the subject. know OF no especial epidemic but
believe have been many cases OF scarlet fever
aud measles, with some OF pneumonia as usual. |
There has been considerable sickness among chill |
dren, but can ass gu direct cause The warm |
and variable weather has very likely proved lnJur
GUS by exercising debllltatlnV and weakening |
etect, and thus putting people in condition 10 |
succumb more readily ~ disease" |
In conversation with Or. John I. Peters |
hi -atIbi bipgr A
very likely tue recent large immigration of u poor
and careless set OF people. There nas been marked
increase OF mortality from such contagious dis |
eases as dlphtherla, scarlet fever smallpox and |
measles For this | hold pAJ siclans largely 10 |