Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-01-17
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KNOXvILLE'S MORTUARY RECORD.
Annual Report of DR.. Boyd, Secretary OF
the Board of Health.

Annual Report of DR.. Boyd, Secretary of
the Board of Health.
The following report was made Friday
night TO the city council by DIR. S. B. Boyd,
Secretary of the City Board of Health
To the Honorable Mayor and Aldermen of
the city of Knoxville, Tennessee:
have the honor of presenting the 9TH
and 8th annual reports, with mortuary
atatistics for the years 1880 and 1881. There
has been no report made to this Board
since 1877, until this one.
The mortuary tables presented in this
report show that during the year 1880
there were IA deaths in the city and su-
burbs, "a whites and 60 colored of these
48 were white males and % colored males,
SO were white females and 38 were colored
females. In 1881 this report shows there
were 274 deaths in the city and suburbs, LA
whites and 100 colored of this number, 70
were white males and 68 were colored
males, while ~ were white females and 81
were colored females Total males, white
snd colored 14O; total females, white and
colored, 1874 The death rate per annum
per 1000 of the whole population is 17.l2.
That of the white population is LAO per
annum, and the colored is q. Sc.
INFANT MORTALITY.
This is much less than usual During the
year 1881 it was SO, which gives US the ratio
of children motalty to total deaths, 80 IL,
and per 1,000 inhabitants LIE.
From table No. 5, giving the zymotic or
preventable diseases for 1881; we find that
seventy-s six deaths were from what we class
as preventable diseases; forty-seven were
white and twenty-nine colored, the largest
number being from typhoid fever, which
prevailed to some extent during the entire
year. The next largest was cholera infantum,
which occurs during the summer months,
there were thirteen deaths from this cause
during the year. Marasmus was the cause
of eleven deaths, while from the most
contagious disease of all, scarlet fever,
only four deaths occurred, although there
were % cases occurring since July of last
year, 1881. These cases were scattered
over nearly all portions of the city; six
cases occurring in Mechanicsville, three cases
in the 4th ward; six in the suburbs outside
of Mechanicsville and three in the 9th ward,
two in the 7th ward, and two in the LIST
ward. They were reported by nine differ
ent physicians.
In regard to diphtheria we had nine cases
reported since July, 1881. They were
scattered over the entire city: LIST ward one
case, I'd ward one case, Sd ward one case
4th ward one case, 9Th ward two cases, 18th
ward one case, North Knoxville suburbs one
case, West Knoxville suburbs one case. In
the nine cases but one death occurred. The
nine cases were reported by five different
| physicians
| Now if we will turn to the mortuary table
| No. we will find that of the 143 deaths
occurring in the year 1880, the largest mum
| Der occurred from consumption, being 81
~ whites and Is colored, 8 being males ant
| IS being females. The next largest mbel
| of deaths from any one cause being pneu
monia, and only 40 deaths from that cause
5 whites and 5 colored, 5 males and 5 fe
males.
Table No. 10 gives the zymotic diseases
| during the year 1880. In this table WI
| find A deaths from preventable diseases
cholera infantum, cerebro spinal meningitis
and typhoid fever being the three tina
caused the most deaths, noted In this table
Consumption, that fell destroyer tina
takes more life than any other three diseas
es known to man, has claimed 80 victims
10 whites and twenty colored during tn
year 1881, and ~ during the year 1880.
we should have an epidemic of any conta
gious or infectious disease to occur in GU
city that would take off that many of our cit
liens in so short time, it would epopu
late the city through fear, and people. travel
ing would shun us and our city. Instead
of growing rapidly as it is, it would dimin
ish in numbers until finally there would b
none left to tell the tale. OF this larg
number of deaths from this cause, we find
in looking over the death certificates, tina
quite number of the whites came her
from other places for their health. Twent,
colored died from this cause. The onl,
wonder is that morelcolored people do no
die from this cause than this, when we tax
into consideration the large number of then
who are SO poorly clad and sheltered during
/ the winter months.