The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-20
REPORTS TO GOV. PORTER.
Secretary Elders Statement of the
Health OF Indiana's People.
Condition of the Penitentiary at Jefferson
viile-Improvements Made at the
Prison During the Year.
HEALTH STATISTICS.

Annual Report of the Secretary OF the state
Buard-Statements of General Interest.
The second annual report from the State Board
of Health was submitted to the Governor yes
terday by the secretary, DR.. E. s. Elder. 1t is
very voluminous, but is carefully written and
well arranged Ii is hardly as complete, the
secretary alphabetically remarks, as the i'm
portance of the health department Of the State
demands. but the short time since he assumed
the duties of his office precudes the possibility
of making more of it than is presented. When
printed, however, it Will make one of the largest
volumes from the state departments.
The secretary, in his predatory remarks, states
a series of sanitary investigations have been be-
gun, which, it is confidently expected, will
render the work of the bureau for the next
year more manifestly in the interests of the
public than heretofore. The formative period
of the boards existence has passed, and more
effective work may lie expected from it in the
future. State health boards are the 'outgrowt til
of the demands of a odern civilization, the
first having been organized fifteen years ago in
Massachusetts. Since that time twenty seven
other Stat es have followed the example. In ad-
dtiOn to the twenty-eghG State boards OF
health, those forming part of the local munlc-
qualities are numbered by the thousands, and
Sanitary science is now placed high among the
most important objects of modern research"
The tendency is to violate the laws of health
from Sheersnecessity, and the supervision of eX-
ecutive authority becomes necessary to prevent
the outbreak of disease London formerly had
a death rate of over forty per Thousand. Since
the organization of the health department the
mortality has fallen to twenty-five per thou sand;
that of ngland and Wales from 1874 in 1860,
to 20.5 in $780, In our own country the death
rate has been proportioRately reduced since the
organization of health boards.
The secretary earnestly recommends the reten-
ton of local health officers, where they give sat-
sfacton and says that it "becomes necessary to
make some changes, but in no case should pO-
itiea influence or personal preference displace
a competent and faithful health officer" With
few exceptions, he says, all the present local
health officers are good ones.
There are many bygienio errors in the loca-
ton, construction and condition of the 10000
sehOol-houses in the State, the secretary says,
and early in November county health officers
were ordered TO correct all faults detrimental to
health. 1t is shown by the reports of sanitary
surveys that 20 per cent of the sohOol-houses
have no water closets or these, 40 per cent
are in bad condition, 10 per cent. have no vaults
and 85 per cent. were never cleaned or disn-
fected. In relation to the healthfulness of
schools, the secretary says that children from
families afflicted with dangerous diseases should
be excluded, and no child should be
allowed to enter school until it has
been successfully vaccnated In eighteen
counties in Indiana where smallpox prevailed
during the year in but one county did school
child die from the malady, aud in this case the
health officer reports that IL W as because there
nau not Deen SUCCESSFUL vaccination. IN Indian
apOlis, although there have been thirty-five dis
tinct outbreaks of smallpox in the last ten years,
no school child has suffered from the disease.
sanitary inspection Of twenty eight school
houses in Indianapolis made less than thirty
days ago revealed hygiene faults in sixteen of
them. elf these conditions exist under the
most approved methods of conducting schools"
the secretary asks "what must be the cOndi-
tiOn in districts where no special attention has
been given to such matters4"
During the next year a careful examination of
county ialls and asvlums will be made, and an
effort will be made to have all hygenic faults
corrected
The vital and sanitary statistics show that the
entire mortality is about eight per thou
sand Inhabitants, but this. Dr. Elder
thinks, is probably not more than one-half
the actual mortality. In the counties OF
Marion, VigO, Vanderburg and Wayne there is a
mortality OF about fourteen per 1000. Allow
ing large margin for incomplete statistics the
secretary is confident the death rate will not
exceed sixteen per 900. Below Ia given "a
comparative statement of the death from differ
ent causes, as reported for the years 1882 and
1883: