, 1884-10-08

NCGCA AthC IL Is CHC ACoDpAAoiplC OlISs
Then again the occupants are only Occu-
pants i'll the most cases they are not even
renters, hence not even poSsessors before
the law the houses belong to the estate
proprietorS. Now, the owner ought to de.
liver the house to the occupant in a
proper state, also i'll sanitary respects.
He would not enter upon the question how
far Managers are to be responsible, but he
~foresees that that will present difficulties.
A few remarks more he would beg to add
in some other respects. Among the cpl
demic diseases mentioned in the TX marks
to the Draft against which we have to
provide, is mentioned "cXanthematic
typhus"; now, he knew this term was
taken from the Law for Denmark he did
not know if the Government had any clear
idea as to what exanthematic typhuS is
but he would say, it is a disease extreme
Iy rare in the Westindies, where it has
not made it's appearance since 1887, as
far as he knew. However, it is no harm
that the term remains in the Draft. But
on the other hand, among the duties OF
the Sanitary Commission is also i'll the
Draft mentioned "the ordering of the
public hospitals and SickhOuseS" in this
respect he would at once declare his de-
icient knowledge of the English Language,
hence he was unable exactly to under
stand what ''the ordering in this sense
means. He knew of course the meaning Of
the Danish word "Indretningen", but he
could not know if those English terms
covered the Danish. He took the English
words "the ordering" to imply putting into
execution; but this was scarcely the
meaning intended. This is, however, a
question OF words. But when 1T is said
that the Hospitals and Sick Houses are to 3
10 ,,Jo, Al, r,,,nr,iS;o,, ,f thn G. uiforv -
Commissions, he would beg to remark that
there is a regular Hospital Commission al
the Sanitary Commissions could have aGB
thing to do with the Hospitals III the
Boards exclusively appointed 10f thOSe
hospitals there are medical men,; ana
there is no necessity for more moreover
the Sanitary Commissions will have enough
to do. without there being added what IS
not necessary for them to do. In connec-
ton with this whole question, although a
little remote from it, he would beg leave
to put a question to the Government. The
question. he would admit, does not come
strictly within the scope of this Draft, and
he would therefore be willing to stop his
remarks, as soon as he might be stopped
nv the honorable Chairman. The question
refers to the Registration OF the Births
and Deaths in the Island it is after all
NOT so remote that it could not be under
stood WHY he had taken the opportunity
10 bring it up now. In this Island there IS
no full registration Of births and deaths;
he is aware that the Lutheran Clergyman
in ChristianSted keeps a book for entering
the number of births and deaths known;
but he was also fully aware That the
figures in that Book are perfectly unreIla-
bic, and that. hence, we have, and can
have. no reliable knowledge OF the relation
between Births and Deaths. 1t was not
requisite for him to use many words to eX'
plain that such a thing is of the greatest
Importance, particularly in the face OF the
existing fact that the population is steadl-
w decreasing. On many occasions there
has been spoken of the reasons or at least
of some of the reasons of that; the infant
mortality has been named but not one
man can AVE any real, Just knowledge of
what that means, if the statements about
it are exaggerated, or not it is certainly
the general impression that infant MORTAL
ty is fearfully great; he did not doubt 1T
ia so: but we nave no real certainty. But
then there is also a number of grown per-
sous who die before they ought to, when
they ought not. This matter is, then, one
of vital Importance to the Island and as
the present Government has, as will be adj
mitted by everybody, taken great interest
in the matters tending to the Improvement
of the population i'll sanitary respects, he
would bring that subject of proper regis
tration before the Government, and he
hoped the Government would but look
upon il as a consequence of the interest