St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-14
CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS.
Considering Drawbacks and OPP
pOSitiOn During the Past Year

The report continues: The annual
report which was issued from this
office twelve months ago, closed the
first years existence OF the new board
of health, constituted under the state
law. For lack of trained and efficient
force OF inspectors, the work of nuis-
ance and house inspection had been
confined merely to the investigation of
actual complaints. The reorganization
of the department has been gradually
effected, and was still necessarily in-
complete at the opening of the present
year. Under the head of the s.per-
sonnet of the department" the
names of the gentlemen who have
been and are now connected
with the department are given
and their services commented on at
some length in detail. Speaking of
statistics the report says that as a
bureau of statistics the department has
taken some progressive steps. Recog-
nizing the inadeQuacy of the mortuary
tables commonly in use, its medical
members have made revised classified
ton of the causes of death, which is
based Oh the modern principles of
pathology and preventive medicine.
The necessity for careful regulation
of these records is constantly demon
strated by the receipt of certificates of
death which cite Insufficient and ill
defined, not to say impossible causes.
A glance at these documents would
often be of curious interest, not only to
eral public. The terms premature
birth, ''still-bOrn," ''peritonitis, and
''septic@mia" sometimes cover the loss
of child or mother as a conse-
quence of induced abortion. In
fact the percentage of dead i'll
fantS is ali unpleasantiy large
factor in the death rate of Minneapolis.
A quiet, but persistent inquiry into
these doubtful cases is gradually lead
ing toa more careful statement of death
causes, and the results of the revision
will be manifest in the increased Scien-
tific value of the statistics of the year.
The manner Of keeping other important
records has been further improved.
All nuisance complaints are registered,
together with the action upon them by
the officers of the force. Blanks have
been provided for use in the inspection
of houses, which are returned fully
itemi5ed and are placed on file for ref
erence i'll correspondence with series
of maps which give the location and re-
lations of every building in the city. 1t
Is Tue Intention OF the department TO
carry forward the work of perfecting
its statistical bureau until sanitary
history of every house and building in
the city can be found in its office, to
which public or private reference can
be made.
In speaking of the sanitary inspec-
ton, the report states that during the
year GA written notices were issued in
regard to complaints received, and that
of this number $40 were issued during
the first nine months, and the remain
ing 265 during the last quarter of the
year. These notices were sufficient in
all but seven cases, and in these war
rants were sworn out, and the offenders
tried in the municipal court. In con-
nection with the sanitary inspection the
report prints copy of the report used
i'll the house inspection. During the
pastthree months 613 house inspections
have been made and the reports filed.
Especial attention has been paid to the
slaughter house and rendering works of
the city, with the result of abating to
measurble degree the sanitary evils
which are almost inevitably attendant
upon these enterprises.