Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1888-05-23
"wednesday. May "a, 1855.
NOW AND THEN.

Wednesday, May 23. 1855.
NOW AND THEN.
Sanitary work In New Haven-Good
Results of STstematic Work-Changes
That Are Needed-More Legal Power
- Execute Needed Work.
AT time like the present when diphtheria
"a much dreaded and infectious illness-is
reported to be prevalent within the city pre-
cincts, some particulars regarding the past
and present sanitary state of New Haven and
the condition of public hygiene throughout
the State of Connecticut may prove of some
1 interest. Our reporter accordingly called
last evening on DIR. Lindsey, secretary of the
| State board of health, at his villa in ELM
street, where in DR.. Lindsley's comfortable
| parlors he readily answered questions bear
ing on the subject. DR.. Lindsey at first
| produced an orange-colored leaidet on which
were printed exhaustive health statistics
| relating to the State. AS access can be had
/ to this report through other channels suffice
1t to say here that it contains two important
statements, namely: 1, "The mortality from
diphtheria in New Haven is unusually large
| andsthere has been no energetic or systematic
effort to control it. 2, That the
| sanitary administration of this city is pecul-
| lar in respect that no law exists in the town
| or city of New Haven requiring the occur
renee "sof dangerous contagious diseases to
be reported to the board of health. The
power of rectifying thisstate of matters lies
with the common council who have had the
recommendations before them for more than
year now, the city board of health being
deprived of the right of amending these by
laws of the city charter"
In reply to question as to how the health
of the city compared with what it was 20
that the issue of monthly bulle-
tin only commenced in June last
Records of mortality and sickness records
were, prior to that, sent in by voluntary
correspondents. The State. death rate dur
ing April was trife less than it was the
previous month The total during March
the most sickly month during the year until
August is reached-was 1, ITO, of which 21S
were from pneumonia, compared with
/ ,116, of which 139 were from pneumonia, in
April.
In New Haven the retention of statistics
has been more perfect than in any town in
the State, and for the last twelve years a
local law making the granting of permits for
burial compulsory has been in force. Since
last June that has been the law of the State.
From memory how would you say the
health of the town compares with what it
was twenty years ago?
Well, replied DIR. Lindsley, there are two
methods of ascertaining that. First by com-
pairing the ratio of deaths per thousand dur
ing the last four years with that of the four
years prior to the constitution of the State
board of health During the latter period,
from '69 to III, the ratio was % Clio per
thousand per annum, and during the for
mer, 1884 to 1887, 1851 0, showing decid-
ed improvement, and if there is any error it
still improves the result, because We may
take it for granted that during the earliest
period many deaths were not reported. The
other method is by taking the bearing of
the percentage of deaths from zymotic dis
eases, such as are most preventible, toe the
total deaths. During the last four years the
percentage was 206-8, and Efrom
$50 to '72 it was 80 9-10.
stu the city population has increased from
makes the result still more favorable and is q
good indication.
And as regards the State, what is the
healthiest part
In the large and small towns the health
would appear to be about the same-perhaps
little in favor of the smaller towns, some
times the same. Indeed, there does not ap-
pear to be one portion of the State healthier
than another. In Stonington last month the
rate was 80 and in Manchester 1873, but then
compare these figures with other months and
they differ very much. In the larger towns
4 InOIo aLLeuLlOu Is UclDS pdIO " San1IdEy Gull
ditions than in country villages, go that the
latter lose the advantage of a rural
atmosphere. New Haven is one of the
healthiest cities in the State. It was said by
DR.. Harris, secretary of the board of health
of the State of New York, who made sur
vey and inspected the sanitary condition of
the various cities in the Union, that New Ha-
ven was the healthiest seaport town in the
world, and the death rate is no higher now
than then.
Will the boulevard sewer still improve mat
tersf The sewer as soon as completed will
have tendency to improve the health of the
western district, but the improvement will be
/ gradual and in the same measure that
householders connect with it, which they do
at their own expense. The Twelfth ward has
scarcely any sewer. The First is generally
severed, the Sixth and Seventh rather eff
GENTLY, the Third efficiently. The
heaviest death rates at present are usually in
the Fourth and Seventh wards, the reasons
being that the Fourth is largely unsewered
and the Seventh is the most densely populat-
ed in the smallest area and contains most of
the foreign population.
The following is taken from DR.. Lindsley's
monthly bulletin for April:
Besides the five cases of smallpox in New
Haven there have been reported one in
Bridgeport, imported from New York, and
one in ThompsOnviIle.
Scarlet fever is reported much less fire.
quently than in March. It is mentioned in
the reports from only nine towns, as against
eighteen in the month before. The following
is the list: Bridgeport, Hartford, Meriden,
New Haven, North Canaan, Norwalk, Tor
rington, Westport and Windham, with only
nine deaths as against sixteen in March.
The following towns have reported the
presence of diphtheriR or Group: Bridge
port, Clinton, Cromwell, Danbury, East
Hartford, Griswold, Groton, Haddam. Hart
ford, Manchester, Meriden, New Haven, Nor
walk, Plainield, Plainville, Stafford, Siam
ford, Stonington, Wallingford, Waterbury
and West Hartford; twenty-one towns with
thirty nine deaths, precisely the mortality of
the previous month. 1t is still more re-
markable that the board of health of New
Haven is wanting in the authority possessed
by every other LOCAL board of health in Con-
neoticut) to enforce such precautions against
the spread of contagion as are necessary to
protect the public. Hence it happens, when
outbreaks or infectious diseases occur, only
such protective measures are observed as
may be undertaken voluntarily by the parties
directly concerned. 1t is therefore not sur
prising that local epidemics in the city, as the
recent ones of diphtheria and smallpox, get
well established before the board of health
hears of them; and then it can only attempt
by profered advice and some assumption of
authority to correct or arrest them.
Even public funerals of the dead from
diphtheria, in private houses, attended by
children without restriction, are not uncom-
mon in New Haven, and the health board
has no power to prohibit them.
The board has not the power to compel the
disinfection of houses, after contagious dis
eases, or the means to provide for the isola-
ton of the sick.
The administration of public hygiene under
such restrictions can only be pretence and
a sham, which endangers not only the public
health of New Haven but of the State at
large, indeed of all who have intercourse
with the city.
Mrs. Chant at the United Church Chap.
ella Noted and Eloquent woman.
To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
tbs not definitely understood that Mrs.
Laura Ormiston Chant will speak, under the
auspiceso of the W. @. T. u, on the subject
of ''Social Purity" in the chapel of the United
oh Thia nhanal ia in Tarn11lA atraet