Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-28
TIE CITY'S HEALTH.
Doctor Reese's report for the Year
1888.


1883.
The late Health Officer of the city,
Doctor John w. Reese, recently pub
lished report OF the affairs of his Office
for the year 1888. There are points in
this document worthy Of some attention.
The total number of deaths reported for
the year were $50. 1t is claimed that
the population OF the city is $4,000 with
very large transient population here
during large part of the year, which
runs the population up to 10000. At the
lowest of these figures the rate is
only So deaths to the 1000 of popula-
ton. This is certainly low estimate.
Taking the various diseases to which
flesh is heir, it appears that, OF these $50,
"a were due to typhoid fever, to typho-
malarial fever, 2 to whoopiDg cough, lO2
to consumption, 5 to cancer, 80 to pneu-
monia, 10 to Bright's disease, 36 to
heart disease, Is to bronchitis, II to
paralysis, to apoplexy, to
gastritis, TO dropsy, 5 to phrenitis,
80 to inanition, 81 to old age,
IA to congestion of the brain, IL to
poisoning 15 to suicides, to gunshot
wounds, 45 to diphtheria, 3 TO eryspelas,
% to meningitis, to puerperal fever, 10
to smallpox, IA to cirrhosis Of the liver,
3 to alcoholism, 26 to membranous
Group, 8 to typhus fever, 8 to dentitlon,
8 to cholera infantum, 20 to commissions
and 88 to "other causes"
The fact that "a deaths occurred
through typhoid fever, 4 through
typho- -malarial fever, and 3 through
typhus fever should be warning to the
city authorities that the outfall sewer
must be built. 1t is a new departure
here to chronicle any deaths from these
causes. With the city properly severed,
the streets we'll cleaned and back yards
kept as they should be, there would not
be case OF these diseases in a decade.
Diseases of children, it Will be noted, cut
little figure in the above report.
All the ills the infantile period
of life is heir to are of a mild type here
and do not put in very frequent appear
ances. This is climate where outdoor
| life is possible at all seasons, and chill
dren enjoy almost total exemption from
the diseases which in severe climes decl'
mate their ranks. The fact that 45
deaths are registered against diptheria Is
also chargeable to the lack of sewerage
in some portions of the city.
and to dirty streets in others
The 102 cases of consumption
must be set down for the most part tC
the account OF the numerous Eastern
people who come here too late to be
benefited by the climate or to be saved
by any influence short of the miracu
lous. If these we're deducted from the
total it would reduce the rate to abou
liz deaths to the 1000 of population
The death of 33 by pneumonis
lis sad commentary on the
little care even intelligent people
pay to SO important a matter al
the maintenance of their health. A
person in good health has but to see tina
| he is properly clothed, fed and lodged t
defy a severe cold to settle about hi
lungs and prove fatal. Smallpox i
feared far more than sound reason woul'
dictate. 1t was epidemic here last yea
for many weeks, yet only ten deaths wer
recorded from it. AS the Health Office
remarks, it is not nearly so dangerous a
typhoid fever or diphtheria. There wer
III cases during the year, and only, a
recorded above, ten deaths. In on
month forty-nine cases were reported, bu
only four of them proved fatal.