Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-10-12
SANITARY SAUCE.
HEALTH STATISTICS OF THE STATE
FOR SEPTEMBER.
The Secretary of the State Board OF
Health Offers Timely Advice
on Health Matters.

The report of Secretary G. G. Tyrrell, of
the State Board OF Health, for the month
of September, is full of interest. It
states that reports received from LOG local
titles throughout the State, with an esti-
mated population of 799, 500 give the num-
Der of deaths at SIG, which is a percentage
of 10 per thousand in the month, or an
annual mortality of Is 0S, which, while
very low percentage, is much higher than
that recorded in August
Reports received from 12S localities
throughout the State continue to indicate
an exceptionally favorable condition of the
public health, many correspondents report
ing no sickness whatever in their localities.
DIR. II. L. Nichols, the efficient Health Of
ficer of Sacram ento, remarks that the death
rate for September in Sacramento was
lower than for many years, and if we ex-
clude the accidental and violent deaths, is
wonderfully low There were but two
deaths from Zymot1c causes, as against nine
in September, 1885, Among the reports
of Health Officers in other parts of the
State are many expressing surprise at the
immunity from sickness, which, as a rule
is generally prevalent at this season of the
year. A great deal may be ascribed 10 their
diligence in having their towns made clean
and no breeding places for disease allowed
to exist without abatement.
Although the temperature during Sep
tember was high, it was not accompanied
by any marked increase OF intestinal disor-
ders.
Typhoid fever is noticed with increasing
frequency in the reports, as might be ex-
pected from the extreme lowness of the
water in the warehouses;. This in
creasing prevalence of typhoid fever should
put us upon our guard relative to the water
we drink, and especially to the sources
from which it is derived, as it is ecknoWl-
edged by all those physicians who have
carefully investigated the sources from
which the disease is communicated that in
ninety nine cases out of a hundred the
chief distributor of the infection is water.
1t can, however, be communicated by air,
the clothing of the sick, and by the hands
Of the attendants, if precautions are not
taken to observe the utmost cleanliness
The possibility of infection by drinking
water should render it Il care of pater-
nal government to supply the people with
pure water free from pollution of any
kind. At present an attempt is being made
to turn the sewage of some large towns into
one of the chief rivers of the State. If This
is permitted, the result cannot be otherwise
than an increase of sickness wherever this
river water is used for domestic pdrposes
The excreta of one typhoid fever patient
poisoned the whole water supply of q
town in Pennsylvania, caused the sickness
of over 100 persons, and the death of Ala
If the diffusion of the eXcreta of one per-
son carried into river water used for domes-
tic consumption was followed by such dire
consequences and fatal results, what NAV
we expect when the sewage of many towns
is conveyed into our rivers to pollute their
waters and poison the consumers. That
the purity OF drinking water has marked
influence in lessening the prevalence of
typhoid fever may be instanced by the City
Of Vienna. In 1854 10 1874 that CITY was
supplied by well water, and water pumped
from the river Danube The deaths an
nually from typhoid fever in these wears
| averaged $40 in each 100000 people. In
1874 supply of water was introduced. and
the deaths fell to so in 100000. AS the
| well and river water continued to be
abandoned and the supply of water en-
tirely obtained from the springs, the deaths
from typhoid fever have fallen to IL in
each 100000. Can we ask anything more
convincing than these statistics to impress
us with the necessity that exists of preserv-
ing the purity of our water supplies, and
keeping them free from sewage coptamina-
ton? The question of how we are to dis
pose OF our sewage is one that must engage
| the attention of our legislators before very
long. Self preservation will compel atten-
ton to it, as daily our soil is becoming
more and more saturated with excremental
matters, and it is only question of a very
short time when the ground air will be
| charged with virulent poisons, and the
ground water surcharged with living mes
| sengers OF death, so that we will be forced
into the preservation of our water supplies
| from contamination if we desire to pre-
serve our health and our lives.
We have noticed with some apprehension
the frequency with which consumption is
! mentioned IL our reports, which might
convey an erroneous impression that the
| disease was increasing in the State among
the rising generation. That this, in linn
tied sense, is true, cannot be denied, but is
capable of satisfactory explanation when
we take into consideration the fact that for
some time past California has been ex-
tensively advertised in the Northern and
Eastern States as the sanitarium of the
world its luscious fruits and semi tropical
verdue have been exhibited, and its "glori-
Gus climate" so dilated upon, that perfect
exodus of diseased humanity has been pre-
cipitated upon US. Thus we find sufferers
from tuberculosis in all its stages louuging
in our hotel corridors, crowdiug our health
resorts, filing our churches and assemblies,
and scattering the seeds of death with
every mouthful of saliva they expectorate
so promiscuous]y whenever they SIRE gath
cred together. To this influx of immi-
grants with diseased lungs may we attribute
the apparent increase of consumption in
this State. The expositions upon our
GLORIOUS climate" throughout the East
has sent us an undesirable clement
in the population of any country.
There is no longer any doubt of the con-
tagiousness ofc0nsumption, or ofthe fallacy
that cure resides IN climate. The climate
of many parts of California will no doubt
prolopg the life of many consumptives,
and, perhaps, arrest the disease IN a few,
but until we can afford to build sanitariums
for the isolation Of this class of patients, or
erect hotels and devise pleasure resorts for
their exclusive use, our State is better off
without these immigrants. They dissent
nate disease which practically might be
unknown under proper sanitary laws, in
crease our mortality returns and lessen
that high standard of health to which the
State is capable of attaining, from its I'M
surpassed climate, its geological formation,
and its possibilities of presenting temper
ature suitable to the climatic wants of any
constitution which the system may demand
for the better preservation of its perfect
health.
UNITED BRETHREN.