The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-08-07
CONFIDENTIAL SUGGESTIONS
showing How the Rate OF Mortality May
be Reduced.

showing How the Rate OF Mortality May
be Reduced.
at is an axiom of uniyers Il assumption,
ifnot ofuuiycrsM proof. that every city is
in IFS own eyes very healthy, or i, the
hoalthicSt city i'm the world. Certainly it is
a universal article of faith with u~ That
Richmond b. tine hcalthicst city oI the
Mon. aud u h. equally certain ihlt no
greater anr0ut can Dee offered io our good
citizens than 90 intimate in the m.de7i
manner that statistics are rather against
Dur claim. for they at once look, and most
probably SAY. statistics Doe hanged
"NOW. althO' it j, universally admitted
that slaughter HOUSES conducted ou -O-as-
yOu-piease plan are cmihcnuy conducive to
health. for e., idcnce OF which we have only
to look an our rosy butchers and their r0-
bust children. and aithO' % ., equally adj
mittod that great raNiuo-. into which sew
ers empty and from which the sewerage Is
gathered into one stream which then. cN-
no-Dd to "a burning sun. ~trdgSlc~ in a lcl--
urcly and lanCuid manner thrO' the heart oi
the CITY. are equally fatal to disease I" say
nothing az the hrlth-imparilnG quail
tiles 81 muddy James River wafer yer
our Board 0f Health should mot rely upon
these evidences. strong ana indubtaul' a.
iNftA are. IIlN It ~llfAsiA N' Nliil'NA f'''i.
statistics too for. If not. other cities might
dispute our claim and might even gibc us.
and % avoid such cause OF anger or Of
mobilization. patriotism coursel- the lp'-
lowing SUGGESTIONS:
IL remark. however. before proceeding,
that the usual resource of unhealthy CONF
muuitie, of calculating the rate OF nni'al-
ity ON excessive estimates of population
h5. been swept ava, tor "a few wears at
FL al - a. .a.T
remark further that as thr ingenuity oi un-
healthy places /. not thereby exhausted, d
Nc wish 10 maintain our claim tO being the
healthiesf city in the world, Wc must Doe the
first t0 ler-~tall an observation-disclosures these
few SUGGESTIONS.
I'm the first place appeal 10 the exam
pie of tine illu-lri0us fathers who framed
our immortal constitution 90 which We have
been appealing, tho mostly however ln
vain. ever since the day of it, adoption.
The world recognizes these fathers as the
wi~p-t men. politically. who ever lived. and
what did they dOt la forming this glorious
instrument they deliberately proclaim as "a
fact that five negroes are or should br only
three. and thus i'm computing the number OF
deceased negroes our board, following their
shining example. should count live hundred
"a only three hundred. and as about one
thousand negroes die annually. this VIII re-
duce the mortality four hundred, which Is "a
very considerable and desirable item
Another suggestion. As our Board does
not count still-births. why can il not eN-
tend the period of nOn-enumeration 10 some
time after birth and not count any dead m
fint- up Co.,. say, six months! There would
be double advantage in this, because,
besides eliminating them, and thereby
reducing the official mortality, 1t VIII
tend greatly to increase the population, be-
cause mothers seeing by the official record
that Young infants do not die here rs
elseW here will flock from all quarters TO
live. and the fathers Of course VIII follow.
the next census will show such an increase
that our lOudest anticipation VIII be more
than realized"
And vet another suggestion: our Board
% Health might resolve that certain dis
eases. like the drinks Of Rip Van Wrinkle,
shall not count. aud, by wise selection,
besides reducing the death rate. it will aid
materially in building mp our beautiful
and healthy city. Thus, every bOdy mortal
is breads typhOid-feyer; then do not count
typhoid fever, and people. seeing nobody
die OF this disease in Richmond. there VIII
be perfect hegira from other cities 10 our
city, and even property in Jefferson ward
will then possess some marketable value.
or, let the Board not count pulmonary dis
cases Of any kind. and our Northern friends,
who are dreadful sufferers from these
complaints. seeing there is no consumption
here, will lock to Richmond in such crowds
that We shall have not only one, but two,
three on even four iirst-class hotels. Many
other suggestions can be offered. but the
foregoing are sufficient. and II our Board Of
Health is not too proud to avail itself Of
these and those already given, we shall have
'' officially" or statistically. the heathiest
city in the world. our bliss will then be
complete. But these must be secrets Of the
trade" OBSERVER.