The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-12-13
STATE SANITARIANS.
Interesting Statistics OF Sickness
and Death Rates OF Jer-
sey Cities

TRENTON, Dec 13, 1sg0.A-The sixteenth
annual meeting Of the New Jersey SAM
tary Association began yesterday after
noon in the Assembly chamber at the
State House. George p. Olcott, C. E. Of
Orange. was the presiding officer. Ut.
Cornelius Shepherd. the State Prison
Physician. on behalf OF the local mem
bers. welcomed the delegates. He spoke
at length on the subject Of hygiene and
sanitation.
Following the address Of welcome came
paper by Colonel George IL. Warning,
Jr., G. E, of Newport, X. L He said it is
the duty Of all municipalities TO secure
absolute pure water FOR cda9nmption and
to keep all ground water free from con.
tanliDatiun.
Prof. P. T. Austen, Ph. d.. OF New
Brunswick. led the discussion that fol
lowed. He stated his observation led
him to believe that many living microbes
they leave behind is not easily removed,
not even by distillation, and In .conse-
quence they cause much disturbance IN
the human system. He was also of the
opinion that microbes, particularly those
causing fevers, were not distributed. as is
ge nerally conceded. by running streams,
but in the air. in the mist, and by winds
and showers.
DR.. Ezra NJ. Hunt. Of the State Board
of Health. argued that oil water should
be pure, and TO prevent filth from getting
into the surface and the underground
water. the streets must be kept clean.
An interesting paper on the use OF
smoke in testing house drains was read
by Inspector p. l. Lippincott. OF Asbury
Park It was illustrated by an aDpara-
tus by which smoke was blown into pipes
by fan which created much pressure.
The discussion was opened by Prof.
Charles Mcmillan, G. e. of Prince ton.
and he was followed by Dr. Henry
Mitchell, of Asbury Park
Last night President Ollcott, in his
annual address on the subject of "Sani-
tation in House Construction said:-
ANY one can excavate for a cellar, but
everyone cannot build q cellar IN the
proper way. Many people not under
standing the rules of practical engineer
ing. and not being able to afford an ex-
pert, too frequently allow themselves to
be insured by the statement OF the build
er, who makes the statement that he gave
the matter Of drains his personal super
vision, and because OF the builders good
business reputation that is deemed salts
factory.
1.-THE death rate of the different local
tiles in New Jersey" was the subject of
the paper read by James Owen. G. T., OF
VI
rate throughout New Jersey varied from
10 to 20 per 1000 each year, and the main
cause of the higher figure he traced
rather to the conditions under which pop
ulations live than to the location of their
territory. He quoted the following as
the death rate of sixteen cities OF the
Srate:--Atiantic City, POT; Camden. 49, 4;
q. Q: Bayonne, IT,, Jersey City, 22s6; Ho-
boken. 23.5; Lambertviiie, 1876; Trenton,
15.7: New Brunswick. 20; Perth Amboy,
20.5; Passaic. 1873; Paterson, 2l-s; Eliza
beth, 1911; Phillipsburg, 17--making a
general average of 1872
The death rate for townships is consid-
erably lower, averaging 1919 for twenty
one selected townships, one in each coun-
ty The lowest of these is Walpack, in
Sussex county. which is ~. The highest
is KearneY, in Hudson county, being
12.9; North Plainfeld, in Somer-
set, and Hopewell, in Mercer, following
close after. That location is not respon-
sible always for the death rate is forclbly
shown In the city of Newark. where the
ward having the lowest rate is right on
the edge of the meadows, while wards in
what are considered choice locations have
rates considerably higher.
For strictly suburban towns in the
State, Mr.. Owen reported the death rate
at 1874 per 1000 Summit township, on
the top of the mountain. has death rate
of 12 8, and Craford township. in the low
valley OF the Railway River. a rate
of 10.5.
DIR. Hunt thought that in order to OBJ
tain statistics which were entirely accu-
rate 1t would be nescesary to go back
forty or fifty years, as the death rate is in
fiuenced BY numerous conditions and
especially of late years by the water sup
ply. He gave an interesting illustration
regarding some Of the large cities OF the