The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-03
DEATHS NOT so MANY.
MORE LAST MONTH BUT THE
AVERAGE GROWING LESS.


Before Reaching Year-The Total
Mortality for the Year So Far Less
Than 1t Was tor the First Five
Months of Last Year.
Health Officer Drummer was compiling his
mortuary report for May when a MORNING
NEWS reporter called last night to inquire
about the mortality among children.
DR.. Drummer did not attempt to conceal
the fact that the death rate last month
was greater than he liked to see it, and es-
pecially among children, but he said that
while there has been an increase in popula-
ton the death rate in May, 1886, was much
greater. there being twenty-five more
deaths among children in the month of
May that year than last month.
"What were the number Of deaths last
mon h!'
81 am Just making up my report" he
deaths. 46 white and 20 colored. OF the
deaths among children there were 26 whites
and 81 colored between the ages Of and 10
years"
Between what age was the mortality the
greatestp
Among infants under / year. Nearly
three-fourths Of the deaths among children
were of those under year, there being 16
white and % colored, a total of 45.
Between the ages of l and
years there were IA, 7
white and colored. Between the ages of
. a years, white and colored, and be-
tween the ages Of andl0 years, white.
CAUSES OF THE HIGH MORTALITY.
Dr. Drummer went on to say that the prin-
cipal causes of the mortality among children
were from intestinal troubles, seven deaths
being from c. olera Infaltum. He ac-
counted for the fatality among children by
the continued dry weather, and he stated
that it would be found that In seasons
where the precipitation is small the deaths
increase. The less precipitation the larger
the death rate. and from in
testinal diseases. Where the precipitation
is great there is more diptheria, but this is
local, and arises principally from bad
drainage. he said he had not had a case
of dIphtheria reported to him since Jan. "a,
last Prolonged dry weather, when there
is not sufficient storm water to carry off the
impurities which accumulate, are condu-
Give to intestinal troubles among children
In periods Of drought, such as affected
the health of infants last month, and which
show no sign of abatement thus far for the
first two days Of June, Dr.
Drummer was asked if artificial precip-
itation would not be beneficial. He re-
piled that il there was free Use of water
throughout the city it would no doubt help
matters, but a little sprinkling in front Of
ones premises would not answer. 1t wants
something that will carry off { e impuri-
ties, aud nothing does that so well as storm
water.
THE MORTALITY LESS THAN LAST YEAR.
The health officer is not alarmed, how
ever. He SAYS the mortality so far for 1889
se hau hn frr,n IL
year. The deaths for the fir five months
last year were l57 white and 266 colored,
a total of 423, while for the first five mo tbs
this year the mortality has been l45 whites
and PCS colored, or AIS, ten less than last
year. The doctor said, however, that be is
afraid the June mortality this year will
not be less than last June when there were
but 20 deaths among " hites and 60 among
the colored population.
The health officer stated that two things
are orthy of consideration in conn ection
with the mortuary reports being collected
this year. They are much more complete
than il past years 1t is believed that
every death in the corporate limits
is now being embraced in the monthly
reports Of the health officer, some
thing that could rot be said of
past years. The other feature is that the
population of Savannah is steadily increas-
= ~.
A reference to the mortuary report Of
May, 1888, shows that while the deaths
were 100, the rainfall for that mo tn was
$50 inches, while the entire rainfall for last
month was but .35 of an inch, the lowest
recorded for May in twenty years. The
general health Of the city is, therefore, bet
ter than il was before the river water and
the surface pumps were abandoned and
artesian water supplied.
AT THE CITY DIsPENsARY.
Probably no better index of the city's
sanitary condition can be found than the
city dispensa y. TIE number of prsscrip-
tions has been steadily falling off, and last
month there we're fewer presc riptions nut
up than il any previous May in the history
of the dispe sary. The falling off in Nav.
1883, was thought to be remarkable, but it
went to a lower notch last month, ONLY
LII prescriptions having been filed. Some
idea OF the falling of In the demand for
free medicines may be had by comparison
of the number of prescriptions filled in the
months OF May for the past four years,
which are as follows:
1850 -............ ,206
1857 .....,... .,........ .... oOf6
1853 452
4ooS--- .la7
With the falling Off in the number of
prescriptions, and the low price of medi-
ciDes, t Q expenses Of the latter have
dropped from $500 per month 70 only few
dollars over 500.
Mr.. Lewis Cass, keeper of the CITY dis
pensary, resurrected the dusty records Of
1877 to show how expensive it as to buy
medicines then. Quiniae cost 81 so per
ounce, or S54 per pound. and a substitute
IN the sulpnate of cinchonidla was used.
which cost 30 cents per ounce, or $40 80 per
pound. Now QujlI % costs but 40 cents per
ounce, and the cincho ida has outlived its
usefulness In tee pharmacopoeia, and can
be bought for IS cents per ounce.
POOR FOOD BRINGS SICKNESS
Mr.. Cas- in abiding to the sickness
among the poorer classes said If the S ,tur-
day night sale of stale fish and vegetables
to the colored people, who Guy literally of
unsound food, a d g rye themselves over
Sunday. could be prevented there would be
much less sickness, d Monday would no t
be as II n ~ IS, the busiest day in tie wee
IN the city dispen> airy.
In referring 10 the falling off in the num-
Der OF prescripti JnS, dr.. CaSs SAYS it was
more par rular1v noticeable in localities
where the old surface wells were filed 10.
and the use of arUesian water substit ted.
There Is every reason to lieye that the
health Of the CITY will be in .reased by the
improved drainage, the general use OF
arteslan water and the incineration of the
garbage by he crematory, which is rapidly
approaching completion, and that while
extreme drOI ght or humidity will affec;