Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-05-12
MORTALITY REPORT.
MONTHLY CIRCULAR OFTHE STATE
BOARD OF HEALTH.
The Health Officer at Los Angeles
Refuses TO Report the Small
pox Cases.

4hOEdlil1 uOu1 NAbACo
and towns indicate that the condition of
the public health is quite favorable. In a
population estimated ct 709,550 there &C.
cured i COS deaths, which gives per-
centage of IA per thousand during the
month, or annual average of 1913, which
will compare favorebly with that of any
State in the Union. Our greatest NOR
tality is derived from visitors from the
East, who with diseased lungs seek this
coast in pursuit Of health without this
constant addition to our death rate our
percentage of mortality would be wonder
fully small.
Consumption during April WIS fatal to
1S9 persons.
Pneumonia caused Sc deaths, which is
quite decrease over the previous month
Bronchitis was fatal in IS instances, all
of which occurred in counties in proximity
to the OCEAN.
Congestion of the lungs caused 10 deaths,
which is a decrease from last report
Whooping- cough, which is quite preya-
lent, caused7six deaths.
Diphtheria shows slightly increased
mortality, 30 deaths being credited to it
of these II occurred in San Francisco, six
in RockliR, four in Los Angeles, one each
Oakland, Alameda, Benicia, Pomona,
Santa Barbara, st. Helena, Stockton, Wood
land and Truckee.
Group caused ten deaths, all occurring in
those towns where diphtheria prevailed.
Scarlet fever had the small mortality OF
four during the month.
Measles was fatal in thirteen instances,
which i5 large decrease from the last re-
port; and indicates that the disease has
spent its force from lack of material.
Smallpox is also declining seven deaths
only being reported from it during April
four of these occurred in San Francisco
one in Sheep Ranch and two in Los An
geles.
Typhoid fever is credited with twenty
four deaths, thirteen in San Francisco
three in Santa Ana, two in San Diego, two
in Los Angeles, two in Oakland, one in
Sacramento and one in Yreka.
Remittent fever caused nine deaths
which is the same number as reported il
March.
Cerebro-spinal fever is credited with fif-
teen deaths, which is a marked decrease
from last report, but indicating g continued
prevalence Of the disease.
Alcoholism caused twelve deaths.
Heart disease was fatal in fifty-nine in
stances.
Six deaths are attributable to erysipelas.
The towns reporting no deaths were Ar
derson, Biggs, CastrOville, North Bloom
field, Ontario, Sonora, Folsom anG Susan
vile.
PREVAILING DISEASES.
Reports received from 100 localities in
different parts of the State indicate that the
improvement toward health noticed in ou1
last report continues, and that the tendency
to epidemicity in disease, which was OBJ
served in the earlier months of winter, is
fast subsiding.
The genial weather enjoyed during the
month of April had, without doubt, q
marked influence in diminishing the spread
OF smallpox, measles, scarlet fever and
whoOping-c In diphthe-is this OBJ
servation may not apply, as the virus OF
the disease does not seem to be influenced
to the same extent by meteorological con-
dluons as other zymotic diseases, being
equally as virulent in the drier atmosphere
of spring as in the more humid months OF
winter. To depend, however, upon atmos-
pheric conditions only to rid US of zymotic
disease, would be placing our reliance upon
very uncertain factor. The prevention OF
the continuance and spread of these dis
eases must depend upon proper sanitation,
and the very first move in that direction
ought to be the enactment of law MAX
ing the notification of contagious disease
compulsory, either by the physician attend
ing 1t or by the person upon whose premises
it is. By timely notification, the health
authorities could, by isolation, .confine the
disease to its place of origin, and subse-
quently, by thorough disinfection, destroy
the contagion before it had time to get
abroad. We notice in our reports:
Cholera infantum is mentioned in Hills
Ferry, Bakersfield, Cottonwood, Lemoore.
Lodi, Shasta and ST. Helena. The cases
are few and the mortality limited.
Diarrhea and dysentery are becoming
more prevalent as the warm weather ad-
vances they are mentioned in reports from
Calico, Sierra City, Lemoore. Livermore,
Sissons, Fresno, Anderson, Yreka, Bakers
field, Lockeford, Williams and Salinas.
Measles still prevail, to some extent, in
Lockeford, Hills Ferry, Pomona Sacra-
mento, Santa Ana, Dixon, North Bloom
field, Cloverdale, Bakersfield, Nevada CITY,
Anderson, Sissons, Livermore Cottonwood,
Plymouth, Salinas, Lincoln, Lemoore,
Napa, Lodi, Gridley, st. Helena, Jackson,
Sonora and Fresno.
Scarlet fever, in q mild form, is prevalent
in Sacramento, San Francisco, Pomona.
Wheatland, Anderson, Sissons, Angels
Camp, Lyermore and Fresno.
DIPHTHERIA
Is noted in many localities. In Rocklin
quite an epidemic of the disease pre-
vailed during the month. DR.. H. e. Stat
ford reports forty-four cases, with many
other cases of sore-throat, which, although
quite mild, were probably diphtheritic
The origin of the disease was traced to a
family whose sanitary condition was of the
worst possible description. From this
family it was communicated to neighbors
children, who were playing close by. An
other factor IN the spread of the disease was
an open sewer or ditch, that was used as a
receptacle for large portion of the filth of
the town, and from which was constantly
-exhaled most offensive odor. Owing to
the comparatively dry winter this drain
was not washed out as usual by the winters
rain. and hence its putridity IF an ex-
ample was needed of the close relation that
filth bears TO disease, it may be found in
the history of this epidemic at Rocklin.
Founded in filth, fostered in an insanitary
home, to germs cultivated and diffused by
the decomposition of animal and vegetable
matter imam open ditch, polluting both air
and soil, the result could be no other than
Itwas, with its attendant deaths, that might
have been prevented. In San Francisco
some thirtysix cases were reported; other
cases were noticed in Cloverdale, Riverside.
St. Helena, Cedarville, Anderson, Mereed,
TrUckee, Woodland, Stockton, Santa Bar
bara, Pomona, Los Angeles and Oakland
Group is reported in Rocklin, Pomona,
Cleverdale, Bakersfield, Gridley, San Fran
cisco, Santa Barbara, Oakland and Grass
Valley.
Nhooping cough is in Pomona, Cotton,
wood, Plymouth, Sierra City, Bodie. Jack
son, Los Angeles and San Diego.
Erysipelas was noticed as present in Cas-
troyille, Salinas, Truckee, Bakersfield.
9reka, Anderson, Livermore, Lincoln. Ce-
darFllle, Brownsville, Sacramento, Biggs,
Fort Bidwell, Fresno, Santa Ana and Los
Angeles.
Typhoid fever is noticeable by the inEre-
queney with which it is mentioned in our
reports. a few cases occurred in Locke
ford, Dixon, Jolon, Yreka, Cotton, Truckee
Lemoore, Santa Ana, San Diego and Les
Angeles.
Remittent fever was reported from Etus
Mills, Bakersfield, Knights Ferry, Lemoore
and Brownsville.
Cerebral fever occurred il Sissons. AL
turas, Fresno, Oakland, San Francisco
Sacramento and Amador.
Pneumonia was observed in jacksonville.
Lockeford, Hills Ferry, Ena Mills
Truckee, Jolon, Yreka, Auburn, Anderson
Cotton, Forest Hill, Gridiey, Williams. San
Francisco, San Diego, Salinas, Santa Bar
bara, Los angeles, Cotton and Eureka.
Bronchitis was prevalent in Bakersfield.
Ireks, Sierra City, Altur2s, Brownsville
lBodie, Sonora. Plymouth aad Fresno.
SMALLPOX.
Although its area of extension has been