Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-04-12
HEALTHY TOWNS.
A MARKED REDUCTION IN STATE
MORTALITY.
The Lowest Death Rate Of any State
in the Union-Infiux of Con-
sumptives-Etc.

| enty-four Localities, with an estimated pop
ulation of 741 500, give, in the aggregate
907 deaths, which is percentage of l 2.
per thousand in the month, or an annua
death rate of IA So per annum. If We com
pare this percentage with that of any othel
State within the Union, we will at once
begin to realize the salubrity of our climate
and the lessened tendency 10 death thai
exists within its borders. There is hardly
q State that can be named whose death rate
| for the month of March comes within pei
| cent of our average, and when we ref1ec
| that l per cent. means ten thousand lives
spared in each million persons per annum
We no longer wonder at the large number
OF emigrants that seek our shores
The following towns report no deaths il
March: Bodie, Dixon, Downieville, Liver
more, Wheatland, North Bloomfield, Rock,
lin, Roseville, Lincoln, and Georgetown.
PREVAILING DISEASES.
Reports of sickness from seventy nine
localities show remarkable absence of any
| epidemic, or indeed of any prevailing dis
ease, if we may except pneumonia, bron.
chitis and influenza, which were very gen
| eral in their diffusion, but of a mild type
| and sporadic character. The temperature
of the month being much warmer than
what we usually experience in March, and
|
have had a modifying influence upon the
character of these diseases, as it has been
clearly shown that the prevalence of coughs
colds, bronchial and rheumatic affections
| depends very much upon temperature, q
very moist atmosphere accompanied by q
| low temperature being conducive to their
| frequency, an increase of temperature les.
sening their fatality. 1t was noticed during
the month that when the atmosphere was
dry and the temperature low, an increase
| of acute pneumonia was developed and in
| the higher attitudes it seemed to determine
| the fatality. The connection between me.
| theological conditions and diseases is still
a problem to be solved, and appears to be
worthy the attention of every yotary oil
| science whose mission is to consider all the
influences affecting the public health.
| Pneumonia is mentioned in reports from
Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, Val.
lejo, Dixon, Downieville, Napa. Castroville
Anderson Redding, Lakeport, Tulare, Mer.
ced, Hanford, Angels Camp, Etna Mills
Fort Bidwell, College City, Fresno, Clover.
dale Chico, Oroville. Santa Ana, San Diego
Grass Valley and Red Bluff, where DR.
John Fife noticed it was very prevalent.
Bronchitis was also noted by its fire.
| quency in Downey, Williams, Lodi, lie.
moore, Wheatland, Redding, Tulare, Sa.
linas, College City. Cedarville, Los Angeles
Brownsville and San Francisco.
Whooping-cough is observed in Lodi
Tulare, Angels Camp, Brownsville, Fresno
| Oakland and Auburn where DIR. Rooney
writes it prevails extensively.
Cholera infantum is almost absent from
| the State. A case or two was observed in
Knights Ferry, Lemoore, Napa and Sacra.
mento. The frequency of this disease de
pending more upon alterations of tenn
perature, and especially upon continuous
| high temperature, we would not expect 6
| very great prevalence of it at this season o.
| the year.
Diarrb9a and dysentery are also men
| toned but seldom in the monthly reports
There were some cases observed in Wheat
land, Lemoore Tulare, Etna Mills, Fresno
Red Bluff, Gridley, Cotton and San Diego
| but generally speaking it is not at all 6
prominent disease in the State at present
A few cases of measles were noticed il
Lincoln, Wheatland, Truckee, Livermore
Angels Camp Etna Mills and Oakland
Scarlet fever was present in Igo lone
Tulare, Salinas. Dixon, Oakland, San Fran
cisco, Fresno, Santa Ana, and Sacramento
As the tendency to infection from this dis
ease lessons with advancing years, the
longer child can be protected from it the
| greater the likelihood that it will escape i
entirely. To attain this desirable end, it is
absolutely necessary TO isolate patients az
soon as the disease is discovered; and thi!
isolation must be maintained until the
shedding of the epithelium or outer Skin
is completed. 1t is well known fact tina
scarlet fever patients are most dangerous Il
others when the skin is beginning to des
| quamate or peel off. During this time the,
should be frequently bathed, and their Skin
| afterward anointed with fresh lard or othei
animal oil which will hinderthe dissemina
ton of the branny scales. Children ex
posed to scarlet fever should remain unde
observation ten or twelve days before bein.
allowed to mlngle with other children, anC
all attendants on the sick should chang,
their garments, and disinfect their hands
face and hair by washing in disinfectan
solution before mixing with the public l
must not be forgotten that the type of tn,
| disease in one person is not certain to re
produce the same in another, as what is 81
mild as scarcely to confine to bed in on,
person, may communicate a poison to an
other that will be so very malignant as t,
cause death in few hours. 1t is therefor
the part of prudence to confne the spreat
of the disease to within as small radiu
as may be possible. To determine the mos
infective period of the disease, DR.. Whit
legge. of London. analysed LOO cases, O
which he had exact particulars, and foun,
the Effectiveness suddenly decreased q
abouc the sixth day, increased again abou
the twelfth day, and reached its maximum
on the sixteenth day.
Diphtheria continues to be noted in sey
eral localities, but in no place has il as
sumed epidemic proportions. In Sal
Francisco twenty-five cases were reporte
during the month, which indicates
marked decrease in the frequency of tn
disease there. 1t is also reported in An
burn. Castroville, Cloverdale, Colfax
Truckee, Redding, Anderson, Downey, Tn
lare, Salinas City. st. Helena, Grass Valley
Los Angeles and Oakland. In many Q
these localities the cases were returned a
Group, which are here included in the tern
diphtheria, modern experimental path
ology tending unequivocally to show the
identity. Many of our reports mention
prevalence of sore throat, which may be o
may not be diphtheritic, as it is now ascer
tanned that the presence of membrane j
not essential to constitute true diphtheria
it being many times expressed without it
local manifestation in the throat, but ap
parent in the swollen cervical glands.
Erysipelas is mentioned as appearing il
sporadic form in Downey, Truckee, LIE
moore, Tulare, College City, Cedarvile, Oak
land and San Francisco.
| Typhoid lever is not prevalent in any 10
cality. Our reports for the past month sr
singularly free from this mention In Sal
Francisco and Oakland few cases ar
noted also in Alameda, Etna Mills, Col
fax. Los Angeles and Red Bluff.
Typhoid malarial fever was observed il
Cottonwood, Lodi, Anderson, Igo, Tulare
College City, Fresno, Knights Ferry an,
Gilroy The type was very mild and tn
mortality nominal.
Small pox still continues to show itsel
here and there within the State. In Sal
I Francisco three cases were reported. one O
whom came from Portland, Oregon, on
from San Rafael, and one from Sacramento
In Hanford, Tulare county, one case az
peared on the 18th of the month. Thii
was followed BY two others in the sam
dwelling; all were of the continent variety
no other cases have as yet developed
There is one case in Truckee, which is con
valescipg DIR. J. Q. Wrenn writes that tn
disease has entirely disappeared from
Placerville, and DIR. G. A. RuggIes assure
MS that there is not single case in Stock
ton or vicinity. No other reports of small
pox have been received. and we hope sool
to record the fact that it is absent from th
State.
MORE PUBLIC SPIRIT.