The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-04-15
VALUABLE HEALTH HINTS.

The annual report of the State Board of
Health made recently to the New York Leg.
islature may be of benefit to those interested
in such matters in our own State. 1t de.
clares diphtheria has found Judgment in
nearly every part of the State. counting IN
nine months, 2,6Sj recorded victims. The
deaths certified as from typhoid fever num-
bered s64. the larger proportion occurring
in villages and rural districts. Diarrhesl
diseases have carried off 1856 persons, the
deaths being distributed impartially in ur-
ban and rursl districts. The three msladies
named typify filth diseases" their fatality
being every regarded as indicating pol
luton of air and water BY decomposed or
ganie-ususIly excrement-matter. DR.. Car
roll says nine tenths OF the wells in villages
are impregnated with sewage. 1t Is not
through drinking water alone that hlth
poisoning exists; it comes IS well from pol
Iuted air, from filth -sodden earth. etc. Csre.
bYo-spinsl fever, associated with faulty house
drainage, has shown itself in scattered dis.
tricts In ali sections of the State, with NOR
tslity record of 2S7. Erysipelas caused 200
deaths, and mslarisl fevers 500. Making no
!
of twenty-five cities with their conjOined
population OF ? ga. l55, and estimating the
whole population Of the State at $50, 600, we
have q remainder OF 7O5 S45, which, il the
annual death rate did notexceed l. per 1000
would give for the nine months 3i,499
deaths.
Ia conn ection with these data attention is
called ia the report to some information re.
ge1ding the cholera, which is quits as valaa-
bic in Indiana as in New York. In the face
OF possible importation of cholera 1t is i'm
poItsnt that tbs duties OF local authorities
should be consclentiously and energetically
performed, and the work thus done will in no
Gaze be wasted, The AsiaIic scourge is not
contagious from the person; its seed must
find foil outside ef the body to multiply
in, and this soil is filth. An index to the po-
tential Iavages of imported cholera in any
given locality is the epidemic presence of
typhoid fever and diarrhea, and measures
adopted to repel the exotic pestilence will
bear their fruit in preventing the latter di-
sesses also. Purity of water, soil, and air,
the prompt and thorough removal Of all
sources of pollution by decomposing
organic filth, will deprive foreign
or domestic epidemics of all their terrors.
That thorough soil drainage will abste ma
larial levers is a tact placed beyond coniect-
ure or argument. Apart from natural marsh
lands in the various smaller districts, srtii
cial and nalsIial influences have been ere.
ated by the iDjudieieus action of municipal
tiles or private land owners in obslructing
the drainage channels of water courses, aud
thus inducing soil saturation where nature
| had provided healthfuI conditions. The in
1uence of defective school hygiene is q SUBJ
| ject deserving the careful consideration and
watchful care of health boards, as it affects
the welfare of coming generations. The
sgency Of school intercourse in disseminat-
ing infectious diseases is everywhere recog
nized, and in all well ordered sanitary dig
tricts rule exists prohibiting the return 10
school of any pupil convalesoent from con-
! tagious febrile disorders without medical
certificate that the risk of infection is past.