The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1884-11-27

The State Board of Health Meets at the
Governors Chamber.

The state board Of health met at the COVER
moss 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. 1, 1888, to Aug. /, 1884, .
period of nineteen months. The report of tie
board is ready for the printer. and will be pub
ished soon. A perusal of it when it appears
will give an idea of the work done to protect
the people of the state. Reports have been re-
cevcd at the secretary's Office, and the aid OF
the board invoked in thirty two outbreaks of
aiphtheria in twelve different counties. Of
these outbreaks twenty have been confined to
Dne family by prompt and efficient quarantine
In all the outbreaks i'll which more than one
family were infected, quarantine was not es-
tablished until after the disease had existed
for some time, or-as in St Paul and Minneap-
olis-where the disease had variety of origin.
Of the outbreak confined to one family, the aver
age number of cases to the family was five; the
aveage number of deaths two, and the average
death to total sick, 4l.6 per cent More than
ever before seclusion of the sick of diptheria
is enforced, and this has been repeatedly done
by the local boards of health in country dis
tricts through their chairman without medi-
cal aid Very valuable data as to the relation
of the disease to uDsauitary conditions are
given, and also of its relation to water supply
and sewerage. Many examples are given of the
frightful mortality. In several outbreaks all
the children (from five to seven) of the infect
ed family died of the disease. Where isola-
lion of the sick was possible. the mortality has
been notably less.
SMALL POx STATISTICS
From Jan. /, 1888, to Aug. /, 1884, there has
been reported to the secretary seventeen dis
lincts and separate outbreaks of small pox,
distributed in 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, 220; Indians, Is; 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, 50; deaths,
Is: per cent of deaths, 80.
A single case caused the outbreak in the
lumber camps above Aitkin in 1883. In that
outbreak but eight infected escaped below
Bralnerd, Duluth and Morris, where they
we're quarantined The disease was not CIV
On to others except at Minneapolis, where ten
others were directly or indirectly infected.
When the character of the population, the diff
6culty of access and of control and
ln0 eAbtub vi uLOiSdHiZCd tCAlltOly 10
considered, the success of the mea-
sures forsthe 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 rs; families infected, 81;
md deaths, s. Full credit is given the eff
rient 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
pratory, chiefly in water analysis, is de-
tailed This work is increasing. The sub
ject of infectious diseases OF cattle was
thoroughly considered and steps taken for
further action as respects their controls
Many other topics were 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 9 o'clock
to meet again during the session Of the legisla-
ture as is required by law.