Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-12-09
HEALTH or THE STATE.
Btennsrl Meeting Of sEs state Hoard
OF 81 ,,sIth-- Ahe SecretarY's l1epOES.

annual meeting at the Hotel Richardson,
Dover, thursday, with all the members
in attendance except DIR. Chamberlain, of
Middlctown. A grent deal of business
came before the meeting for dissertation.
| The legislative committee was a1tbor-
lied to direct its efforts 10 secure the pas
sage of amendments to laws relating
to the preservation Of public health,
| so that tho penalties can be enforced. 1t
will also ask the Legislature TO pass a
| law with a penalty against admitting
children to the schools who have not
proof of their vaccination. Houses
where there are small -pox, scarlet fever,
diphtheria or other contagious diseases,
it ia desired shall be 30 placarded and
where deaths occur from any contagious
diseases the funeral shall be private.
q. B. Frazer, secretary Of the board,
presented the following report:
| TO His E1cellencu Charles C. iStcckIey
i Governor of DeLdtUdre: The secretary oI the
/ Board OF Health OF the state OF Delaware
| herewith respectfully snbmirs his fourth
biennial report Of the work Of the secretary,
and the proceedings Of the board for the
past two years ending June 30th, 1886.
Meetings have been held according to law
| No epidemic has arisen, or cause for special
| meetings. Tho health Of the people OF the
State has been and is good. The total nun.
| Der OF deaths reported in the State for the
year 1885 Is as follows: New Castle county
| 1880, Kent county 2l7, Sussex couLty 1856,
| total 1,742. Based on tho census Ut 1881
| New Castle county With a population oi
| 777l6 has a ratsin the ,0''0 inhahitants Of
1901. Kent county population 3z,o94,
rate 600. sussex county popula-
| lion s6,JlS, rate s14. Population
| of the State lac, COS rate, 1l.38. Estimated
| population OF the State June 3gth, 1886,
| i70,OiU; rate, 1924. Irhe reports of deaths
outside of he city OF Wilmington are No.
| elected BY The underakprs, whose duty,
according to law, 1t is to report the same to
he recorder Of deeds.l Your secretary by,
md with the approval Of the board had
| published in most Of the newspapers
throughout the State the law as amended,
which requires the undertaken to report all
ieaths OF persons In his charge fer burial to
he recorder of deeds of the county where
| such death occurred. Your secretary msiled
| TO all tho undertakers In the State u copy OF
| the law US amended, with death certificates
| in blank, to be filled up and certified TO by
the attending physician or coroner. More
| attention is now given to the law, and the
reports are more satisfactory. No doubt
not more than one-third Of the deaths In
Kent and Sussex counties were reported
| to the recorder Of deeds as re-
| qulred by law during the year
1885, which is the cause of said counties
| having such an exceeding low death rate re-
| ported. Although New Castle eounty's death
rate is 1901, the percentage Of deaths from
zymotic or preventable diseases is but 16 40
| to the whole number of deaths. While
Kent county has S1.T9 and Sussex county
| $3.50 per cent, the small number of deaths
| reported from Kent and Sussex counties
| make the percentage large from zymotic
diseases. Although the death rate in Kent
| and Sussex counties is very low the per-
centaoe of deaths from zymotic diseases Is
exceedingly largo and will be taken by
people fn other states to mean thar
Kent and Sussex counties are
very unhealthy localities. From the
reports received since January 1st,
1856, for the six months ending June Both,
| 1885, the percentage ofdeaths from zymotic
| diseases In Kent and Sussex counties has
| diminished at least one-h8lf, and the rate
| in the one Thousand inhabitants increased
more than double. This is owing to the
fact that nearly all the deaths are reported
| to the recorders for record.
Your secretary was appointed by the
board In December, 1886 sanitary inspector,
| and in March 1886 he visited the principal
| towns throughout the State inspecting
school houses, jails. .almshouses, academies,
and other buildings; report of ths work
| was submitted to the board at q meeting
| held In June last I'm the city Of Wilmington.
The report was OF such Importance that the
board recommended that It be published in
the fourth biennial report.
A paper prepared by the president, DR..
L. p. Bush, on the resuscitation of the
drowned was distributed by your secretary
early IN the summer throughout the State,
| Cape May, Atlantic City and other points In
New Jersey. l am pleased to state that 1t
| met with popular favor The hea-d recon
mended that the paper be published In the
| fourth biennial report.
Your secretary Inspected number of
| nuisances complained of In New Castle
county, near the city of Wilmington, of
| which reports will be made to the board at
| its next meeting.
/ Your secretary during the month Of Sep
| tember last, mailed to each school teacher
| In the State, and to the board OF health and
town commissioners, IA circular designed to
| ascertain the sanitary condition of the
| school houses. From 600 mailed to said
teachers, but 81 replies Were received, as
| follows: IS from New Castle county IA from
Kent, and 15 from Sussex counties. The
reports chow that our school houses arc ne
| glected by our school commissioners. The
| health and comfort of teachers and pupils
are sadly neglected. The evidence at hand
| is such as should awaken those In authority
! to q sense Of their duty In removing without
delay, the many defects allowed to exist
| TO the detriment of the health of teachers
and pupils. Vaccination is neglected in
every quAtter OF the State. The water sup
| ply In many places is such that the health
of the children Is constantly endangered by
drinking Impure water Yards ard cellars
contain stagnant water Privy wells are
| scarcely ever cieansed and insome instances
| no provision Is made for either teacher or
pupil. Light is also detective, neithnr blinds
nor curtains being in use AID tine reports
show large number ot Children near
sighted and especially In the places whore
no curtains or blinds are In usa. Ventilation
In every report Il impsrfect. In some places
the building is crowded and not suitable
for the district. Thete are many other
defects reported which should be attended
to without delay. Drainage in most places
is good. During the year 1885 theirs were
176 deaths In the State Of persons from five
to 20 years old. No doubt nearly all of this
number attended school and contracted dis
ease because of the many defects above
enumerated in the reports received Ii
every school teacher in the State had com
Piled with the request of the board and
tlled up tho circular no doubt sad state
OF negligence would have been presented.
As It is, enough replies have been received
to show that immediate action should ha
| taken to remedy, us soon ne possible, the
defects which no doubt cause many deaths
| by disease contracted In school houses unit
for school purposes.
Tho reports Of marriages for the year
| 1885 show great improvement. Total
amount recorded Is New Castle cunty,
white, 294 eolored, 62; total, 1885, Kent
| county, white, 1875: oolored, 81; total, 1872
] ouHrFN SGut'i " Wlilcs Sof tutpFbls ~ tDIiI,
| sa7. Total reported and recorded IN the
| State * $50.
J liirhs reported ard recorded: New Castle
comfy white males. S34; white females,
! 773; colored males, %; eolored females, "a
| total births recorded 1874. Ksnt county,
| white males, leo: white females, 1f4 col
ored males, 10; Golorad females, Z; total
births recorded, $50, Sussex county. white
males, Go; white females, 81 colorch nales,
2; colored fomnles, 10; total births re.
| corded, 100. Total births recorded In the
State for the year 1885 Is Q ,1T4. Births over
| deaths, 432.
| Your secretary In March, 1885, examined
the records of marriages, births and deaths
\ In the several counties and found the books
| kept In good order One defect u.s. that the
lame of the physician In the death record
| ts not recorded or that Of the coroner. This
! is a serious defect as II renders the record
| OF no value I'm legal point. The same de-
| feet Is in tie birth record The marriage
record is complete, the name Of the minister
or other person recognized by the laws OF
this State to marry persons Is recorded. 1t
| is to be hoped that these defects will be
remedied by the General Assembly.
A paper prepared by DR.. IT, p Bush,
president OF the board, on Domestic
Hygiene; or, the Hygiene Of Homes" was
approved by the board, and your secretary
distributed 5000 Of the pamphlets through
out the State The paper is an educator OF
homes of our people will cause them to
remove many obstacles to be found in and
around homes, which, II allowed to remain,
would create disease and cause death.
Your secretary Is the recipient OF large
| number nf renortR from all fhe State BOards