Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1889-01-30

1t viii be observed that the principal
variation is in the death reported as
being caused by heart disease. Most
of those are cases of sudden deaths and
many Of them are reported by the cor
oner. The cases reported as general
debility" are chiefly cases where old age
and exhaustion appear to cause death
without aay definite or well marked dis
ease being observed. The slight varia-
ton, as shown in the above table, in the
number of deaths from definite or
well-ascertained diseases would seem TO
indicate that the sanitary surroundings
and physical condition of the people Of
the city have been subject to very little
variation when one year is compared to
the other
IL the opinion OF the members Of the
Board the list of contagious and infec
tious diseases required by law should be
enlarged so as to include typhoid fever
scarlet fever and diptheria, and in the
case of minors in attendance at any
school, the name and number Of the
school ought also to be reported. II these
reports were promptly sent in any unne-
cessary sanitary inspection could at once be
made and proper precaution taken 10 pre-.
vent the spread of such disease; and in
the case Of schools the principals could at
once excuse the children of infected fam
lies from the attendance, without losing
their seats, during the prevalence Of such
disease in their families. II may be said
that typhoid fever, scarlet fever and
diphtheria do not originate from simple
accumulatiOns of filth, defective drainage
and bad air unless such filth, defective
drains and polluted air are impregnated
with the definite germs necessary for
their development
This may possibly be true, but IL can
not be denied that such unsanitary con
ditions depress the vital force and i'm
pair the powers Of resistance of persons
exposed to them, and at the time appar-
emily increases the virulence of these dis
eases when they attack individuals thus
exposed. It is therefore of the greatest
consequence that schools and other pub
lie buildings as well as private dwellings,
should be carefully and thoroughly in
| spected when the above named diseases
make their appearance ia or about them
The work of removing the garbage for
| the past year has probably been better
performed than usual, but It has not
been by any means perfect, nor nearly
what it should be. 1t requires the clos
est scrutiny on the part of the officers
of the board lin order to secure even a
fair performance of this work The con
tracts for the present year have been
given at a small advance and the con
tractors admonished that they must 10
4 the work according to the terms
of their agreements, or have the work
done by the board at their expense, with
the final alternative of refusal to ap.
prove their bills. By an understanding
had with the Street and Sewer Depart
ment, the Board Of Park Commissioners
and the Hartmann & Fehrenbach Brew,
ing Company the contents Of Crooked rur
viii be turned into the Rattlesnake run
drain, thus diverting the flow of this
offensive little stream from the drinking
water
If, when this has been done, it Shout
also be found to be practicable to con
struct the intercepting sewer now undei
contemplation on the south side Of The
Brandywine, a reasonably complete sys
tenn for the protection of the drinking
water from pollution by the drainage
from the upper section Of the city viii
have been adopted
DIR. JAMES A. DRAPER, Pres.