Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-13
SANITARY TOPICS.
Facts from the Report of the Secretary
of the State Board of Health.

of the State Board of Health.
DR.. G. G. Tyrrell, Secretary of the State
Board of Health, reports as follows for the
month of October
Reports received from 101 localities, with
an estimated population of SAG, 300, give
the number of deaths at 1,007, which Is a
percentage of 2 per thousand in the
month, or an annual mortality of IA,
which is slight increase over the preced-
ing two months. but sufficiently low to in
dictate a very favorable condition of the
public health.
Reports received from 10Y localities
throughout the State indicate an absence of
any epidemic disease. They show, how
ever, that intestinal disorders prevail to
considerable extent, and marked increase
of respiratory affections is apparent in the
counties bordering on the coast, and in the
higher attitudes.
Small-pox.-Dr. r. w. Baum, of Placer
vile, reports that he was called to see two
patients in family about seven miles from
Placerville, and discovered that they had
varioloid. The disease was supposed to
have been primarily carried from Carson
Valley, but in so mild a form that the par
ties did not deem the advice OF physician
necessary. They however returned home
with the eruption upon them, and fourteen
days afterward the patients to whom DR..
Baum was called developed the disease.
Fortunately they lived off from the public
road, and DR.. Baum has taken so much
precaution to have them properly isolated
and quarantiDed that an extension of the
disease beyond its present limits is very
unlikely. No other cases were reported
within the State during the month.
Scarlet fever was quite prevalent in San
Francisco; it was also reported in sew eral
places. In Alameda the Health Officer,
DR.. T. J. Mclean, believes the disease to
have been spread by the carelessness of
parents in permitting children having the
disease in a mild form TO attend school, no
physician being called to these cases, and
consequently not reported TO the Health
Officer, as they should be. In Alameda,
the Board of Health has very properly
passed an ordinance requiring placsrd
to be placed conspicuously on every dwell.
ing containing any case of scarlet fever
diphtheria or smallpox, making it penal
ofense to remove such notice until all dan
ger of infection has ceased. This precau-
ton is eminently proper, and should be
adopted by every Health Board and Health
Officer in the State Such notification of
disease would save many lives, and be an
efficient means of arresting the spread of
these disorders when otherwise they might
become epidemic.
AS the evidence increases of the purely
local character of diphtheria in its inception
and the great probability of the destruc-
ton of the injecting material by germicidal
remedies Immediately applied, the urgent
necessity of calling in medical man in
every instance of sore throat to determine
its character is apparent, the arrest of the
disease being dependent upon the early
recognition of its character. If delay is
i
deposit to be absorbed into the blood
systematic infection takes place, all the
deleterious effects of the disease are en-
countered, and its power of multiplication
correspondinglv increased. Early recogni-
ton is the first step towards stamping out
diphtheria.
Typhoid fever was noted in great many
places. In Los Angeles very many cases
occurred in the orphan asylum, which
may be attributed to defective sewerage, or
other local causes.
Our remarks in the monthly circular of
last month, regarding the contagiousness
of consumption, and the undesirability
of inviting its victims to this coast
seem to have given great umbrage
to our Southern neighbors, who seem
to look upon the solicitude of the State
Board of Health for the sanitary welfare
of the State as direct blow at their pros
perity, and an endeavor to prevent the i'm
migration of diseased persons into their
midst. The State Board has no such desire
or power; it can only advise the public of
the danger incurred from the promscuous
mingling of consumptives with healthy
people, which is its duty. NJ. Delargy, in
a paper contributed to the Journal Hygiene
points out that certain mountain regions
in E3rope, formerly exempt from phthisis,
have now become infected since intercourse
with cities and phthisical localities have
been furnished, and considers the crowding
together of large number of phthisical
cases, in the most healthy localities, will
soon have an unfavorable effect upon the
purity of the atmosphere. Indeed, it may
be said that consumption is never con-
tracted except by contact, by association, or
by living in close proximity. The length
of time consumed by phthisis before prov
ing fatal enables it to infect all susceptible
persons coming in contact with it. hence its
great danger when not isolated. Cadeac
and Malet, by experiment, proved that
tubercular matter will retain It's virulence
ten months after drying. Dessicstion, or
drying of the sputa, seems to be the most
effective way of disseminating the disease
Cornet found, that of three hundred and
eleven animals inoculated with the dust
scraped from the rooms occupied by
putnlslCdl PATIENTS Vnal one hundred ana
sixty.seven died soon after; of these one
fifth were found to be tuberculous. He
says, further, that a phthisical patient, to
be innocuous, must never, under any cir
cumstances, expectorate upon the floor, or
into handkerchief but always into spit
toOn cup containing water, which must be
disinfected and frequently changed. The
danger of contsgion from consumption is
not exaggerated; preventive measures are
as applicable to the Southern as they
are to any other part of California, and the
State Board of Health would be derelict in
its duty if it did not point out this fact and
call public attention to the necessity of
caution in dealing with it.