Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-13
health OF THE STATE.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE MORTALITY
DURING THE LAST MONTH.
Are We Prepared to Resist the Cholera
Great Necessity for Thorough
Cleanliness.

The July report of the State Board of
Health has just been issued Mortality
reports received from 104 cities and towns
throughout the State, containing an esti-
mated population of $50, 440. give the num-
Der of decedents as 1872, which is
monthly percentage of 1.33 per thousand,
or an annual mortality of 1895, which is
an increased death rate over that of last
month. This may in great measure be
attributed to the-increased mortality from
stomach and bowel disorders, especially
cholera infantum among children. We
find that the increased temperature during
the month was a prominent factor in the
causation of these diseases and no doubt
contributed greatly to their fatality.
Consumption caused nearly as large
mortality as last month, $50 deaths being
attributed to it.
Pneumonia seemed to be favorably in
huenced by the warm weather, there being
but fifty deaths recorded from it. Of these
thirty-four occurred in San Francisco, the
remainder in isolated cases throughout tie
State
Diphtheria and Group collectively were
the Cause of twenty-four deaths, which is a
large decrease from the Durnber reported
last month. Of the seventeen caused by
diphtheria, ten occurred in San Francisco,
three in Sacramento, two in Los Angeles
and one each in Hay wards and Anaheim
Reports of diseases received from over
one hundred towns agree in general that
the amount of sickness is limited in nearly
every locality; no epidemic is prevailing
m anu of ha tafa
haps measles and whooping- cough, which
In few towns prevail extensively. The
many warm days that occurred in july
produced, with other factors, decided in
crease OF stomach and bowel disorders,
which IN some cases were so severe as to
warrant the name of cholera morbus
SOMETHING ABOUT CHOLERA.
The Asiatic cholera" says the report,
Shows no sign of abatement in Spain; on
the contrary, is spreading rapidly through
the provinces. We are, however, more
concerned nearer home, the disease having
made its appearance in Japan, to which we
are so closely allied by commerce and indi-
vidual intercourse. The disease having
been so clearly proven to be contagious
through eXcretions from the infected body,
the utmost vigilance will have to be exer-
cised to prevent the transportation of these
poison germs to our shores. But suppose
all vigilance fails, and the cholera sud-
denly appears in our midst2
1.-THE question that should present itself
to every community in the State at this
moment Isl Are we prepared to repel the
invader; are our cities, towns, hamlets and
individual premises in such state of order
and cleanliness that disease can find no &C.
cumulated filth in which to incubate its
germs? II they are we have nothing to
fear, as it has been stated by good author
ity that the cholera germ is innocuous when
1t leaves the human organism, and that it
requires another medium outside of man
to mature and complete its infective prop
critics. That medium is a soil moist and
saturated with impurities. If this asser-
ton is true, it necessarily follows that the
most complete safeguards against the spread [
OF cholera are clean SOIL untainted air and
pure water. The first may be attained by
proper drainage, removal of superincum-
bent filth, garbage, all accumulations of
dirt within or near our dwelling places.
Health Boards and Health Officers !
should now be more vigilant than ever
and enforce with all the power the law |
gives them, the proper cleansing of the |
districts under their charge. They are the !
officers accountable to the people for the |
preservation of their lives when threatened |
py olsease; their responsibility is great and |
their remuneration should be adequate |
We know that cholera cannot exist or ex-
tend when the means of its existence are
destroyed. To do this is the work of local /
Boards of Health and Health Officers. No |
favoritism or dislike to prosecute offenders
IN the enforcement of the provisions OF the
law should for moment influence the
health authorities when great danger like
the present menaces the community
1T can be averted by every Sanitary
Board and every Sanitary Officer doing
their whole duty conscientously without
fear or favor; whereas putting off to more
convenient season that which should be
done to-day may be followed by an cpl
demic of one of the most fatal of diseases,
the end of which no man can foretell or its
results foresee."