The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-11-27
PUBLIC HEALTH auA1prA1s.
1ho State Board Of Health Meets 1T the
Governors Chamber.


The state board of health met at the cover
noses chamber at the capitol Monday afternoon.
There were present Doctors D. W. Hand, St
Paul, president; c. N. Hewitt, Red Wing, sec
rotary; Franklin Staples, Winona; Y. Smith,
Duluth; E. J. Davis Mankato, and W. H
Leonard, Minneapolis, and Gov: L. F.
Hubbard. DR.. Hewitt, as secretary, pre-
sented his report of the work of the board
from Jan. l, 1888, to Aug 1, 1884,
period of nineteen months The report of IL
board is ready for the printer and will be pub
lshed soon A pcrusal Of it when it appears
will give an idea of the work llone to protect
the people of the state. Reports have been re-
ceived at the secretarys Office, and the aid OF
the board invoked i'll thirty two outbreaks of
aiphtheria i'll twelve different counties OF
these outbreaks twenty have been confined to
one family by prompt and efficient quarantine
In all the outbreaks in which more than one
family were infected, quarantine was not es-
tablsied until after the disease had existed
for some time, or-as in St Paul and Minneap-
ELSEWHERE the disease had q variety of origin
Of the outbreak confined to one family, the aver
ASe number of cases to the family was five: tho
lveage number of deaths two, and the average
death to total sick, 4l.G per cent More than
ever before scciusion of the sick of dipthcria
is enforced, and this has been repeatedly done
by the local boards of health in country dis
frlcts through their chairman without medi-
cal aid. Very valuable data as to the relation
Of the disease to uDsanitary conditions are
given, and also of its relation to water supply
md sewerage. Many examples are given OF the
friShtful mortality. In several outbreaks all
the children from five to seven) of the infect
ed family died Of the disease Where isola-
hon of the sick was possible. the mortality has
been notably less.
SMALL POX STATISTICS
From Jan. I, 1888, to Aug. l, 1884, there has
been reported to the secretary seventeen dis
lincts and separate outbreaks of small pox,
distributed i'll seventeen towns or townships
and lumber camps. The statistics of this dis
ease are as follows
Number of cases, 255; deaths, 81: of the sick
whites, 222o; Indians p; of the dead, whites,
-; Indians, %; of the sick belonging to fam
deaths in families, % per cent of deaths to total
Sick 1872; sick in lumber camps So; deaths,
l6; per cent of deaths, 30
single case caused the outbreak in the
lumber camps above Aitkin in 1888. In that
outbreak but eight infected escaped below
Bralnerd, Duluth and Morris, where they
were quarantined. The disease was not Civ
en- to others except at Minneapolis, where ten
others were directly or indirectly infected
%nfn the Of the the d
the extent of unorganizcd territory is
considered, the success of the mea-
ssures for the suppression of the outbreak
is regarded as credit to all concerned in
the work The other important outbreak
was in the town Of Frankfort, Wright county,
with few cases in adjacent townships The
total cases were IS; families infected, 81;
and deaths, s. Full credit is given the eff
cient local health officer and boards of
health, who had direct charge of infectious
Diseases and many valuable and important
reports from health officers are given in
full in the report The work of the labS
oratory, chiefly in water analysis, is de-
tailed. This work is increasing. The SUBJ
ject of infectious diseases Of cattle was
thoroughly considered and steps taken for
further action as respects their control:
Many other topics we're discussed which, among
other less important things, resulted in the res
olution to call conference of local health
boards and a popular sanitary council in St
Paul this winter: Cholera was discussed in all
its bearings, and steps will be taken to fully
prepare for its possible advent This matter
will be thoroughly considered at the proposed
conference. The board adjourned at o'clock
to meet again during the session of the legisla-
ture AZ is required by law.