Morning journal and courier., 1890-03-05
REVIEW OF THE CITY,s HEALTH.

Ho0ltn OmcCf wrI8ht mAko0 H10 A us
 nual Repers-The City by no Means
 an Unhealthy one.
 Health Officer F. W. Wright presented his annual report to the board of health last night. The annual reports of the other oifi- oers of the board were also made.
 Dr. Wright, in beginning his report, said he knew public sentiment was opposed to any progrss in the direction of public health and always will be till sickness and death have caused serious havoc. Then there will bs cry for help to the health board. It is urgently demanded that the board introduce q proper bill before the next legislature granting power to this board in such dirso- tions as seem necessary for the preservation of the public health. believe moro siok- ness is caused by poor plumbing than by any other single condition. As the wards in which there is poor plumbing, have taken tho Third, Fourth and Seventh: For the 20.S respectively. In the wards represent ing good plumbing, the First. Eighth and Tenth, the death rate for the same year was 70, 1928 and 13.1 respec- lively. To any fair-mindsd person this must be convincing. The reporting of contagious diseases for the last year has been very generally observed. When the disease has proved fatal, however, but few physicians have reported the death. This makes 1t impossible for the health officer to take such active measures e are frequently necessary. l Iconsidsr the reporting of sick ness and death of equal importance. When the death is reported, such can immediately be done by the health officer in disinfection and prevention of the spread of the disease. 1udA kacyfn hR Upfu I,t presented table giving the number of cases of each contagious disease reported and the number of deaths in each ward for the sev- eral months of ths year. Certain of the contagious diseases have been moro preva- lent during the year than in 1888, especially scarlet fever and diphtheria. But six deaths however, occurred during the year. In Go. tober and November diphthsria almost amounted to an epidemic east oi Mill river. This epidemic can be at. tributed to the management of two oasei in the same family by two "practitioners. In these cases the parents of the sick chil. dren were not instructed e to the proper
 hygienic manner to care for tho disease. Tn, funerals were properly held and the school
 mates of the children were allowed to visi
 the house and look into the caskets. From
 that time that portion of the oity was almos panic stricken by tho prevalence and fatality
 of the dreaded disease. If these cases hai
 been reported to the health officer the cpi
 demic would have been averted. Typhoii
 fever has prevailed to certain extent, but
 has been exaggerated by the press and publi'
 reports. If public funerals had been forbid
 den, in my opinion, much of the fatality O
 this disease would have been averted. Ther
 have been twenty.four deaths from typhoit
 fever during the year. The average numbe of deaths from this disease for th
 previous five years is 286. Ther
 were thirty. eight in 1888 and the com
 parison, considering the increase in pop
 ulatiop, is not alarming. There were twenty
 one cases reported during October. Thes
 cases were investigated for some common
 origin. In only one instance had the physi
 cian attending given proper instructions fo
 disinfection.
 Consumption has within recent month
 been proved contagious. It annually cause four times the deaths of any other disease. would warn the board to provide some pre- caution against this. The New York cit board has distributed set of rules to be ot
 served in the prevention of the spread c
 consumption. These rules were adopted onl , after there had been close study of COT sumption by the pathologist of the healt department of that city. would recommen that something similar bs secured and tlil tributed among the people who arc general ignorant that phthisis is contagious.
 Under the head of isolation an
 dlsinfection the report stated that th } greatest endeayors had been mad to have these practiced in families whsr 2 contagious diseases existed. The public i
 gradually awaking to the necessity of thes precautions and it will not be long before a } houses having any such disease will be qua, antined and each inspector has district fo which he is in fact responsible. One grea } drawback is the unreliability of those mak 7 ing complaint. Fully one.fourth of all com
 plaints made at this office are due to pett
 quarrels between neighbors. House to hous
 Inspection has done much good. Wher people expect an occasional visit from th , inspector they keep their houses in a bette conditionssthan they would otherwise. sg;. As quarantine officer Nr. Wright ha
 boarded twenty vessels during tho year. | no case was there any infectious disease an,
 each vessel received clear bill of health There were aix from, the West Indies. tel from the Britiah proviAsss and fousosfron southern pcxts. vafxss