Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-09
CROWS As A FLOWER,
The Population Of Pittsburg
Gaining Steadily by Nat
ural Increase.
MORE ARE BORN THAN DIE.
Grip and CerebrO-Spinal Fever Send
Up the Death Rate Peg.
HEALTHIER THAN OTHER CITIES.
Slight Falling off in the Number of Hearts
That Seek Union.
MORE ARE BORN THAN DIE.
HEALTHIER THAN OTHER CITIES.
SANITARY EFFECT OF GOOD SEWERS

compares favOrabIy tor health with many
cities of more pretentions, and will con-
tiuue to grow at quite a comfortable rate,
even without any accesSions from the out
sill, world.
During the fiscal year ended March 1,
q SD people died in this city, there were
: .l57 births, and >, 224 couples were legally
bound together by the holy tie of matri-
monv This interesting statistical state
nent is furnished by the annual report Of
the Bureau of Health Just completed and
now in the hands of Chief Brown. The
report is voluminous, including separate
detailed statements from the Superin-
tendent of Health, the Registrar of Vital
Statistics, the Sanitary Police and the
meat. milk and vegetable inspectors.
Probably the most interesting portion of
the report is that of the Registrar DIR. J.
e. McCandless He shows that the citv's
death rate was much larger last year than
in 1890. which had the lowest death rate for
is years.
Many Killed by the Grin.
The death rate in 1890 was 90 "a per ], 200
Inhabitants. with an estimated population
Of 240. coo, and last wear it was % 81 per
] 600 inhabitants, the population being
estimated at 247, 600. While this is a lower
rate than prevailed in many large cities, it
is considered too high for Pittsburg.
Er. NcCandless partially accounts for it
by the grip and cerebro-spinal fever epi-
denies. which prevailed in the early part of
the year There were JOS deaths from grip
and go others from pulmonary and bron-
chial complications with it, over the record
of the previous year. Cerebro spinal fever
caused 172 deaths, or as many as for the ten
-rsvious years combined The death rate is
reduced to 2l9 81. however, by deducting the
ceaths from violent causes from the total,
there being 416 violent deaths, exactly COIN
Gliding in number with the previous years
record.
Good Sewer Systems Save Lives.
OF the total deaths 1,52+ were of infants
under one year of age, and 978 between one
and five years, making ~ per cent of the
total mortalitv There were 2,S02 cases of
infections diseases reported during the year,
60 Of which were fatal, and forming 167 of
the total mortality, a slight increase over
yhe three preceding wears Ofthe infectious
diseases, measles caused SO deaths, whoop-
itg cough, Ia; diphtheria, sol; scarlet fever,
y au'7 typhoid fever, 24S. One noticeable
feature of the report is that the East End
district, which has heretofore suffered most
from contagious diseases, had lower
average than either the old city or the
~ar-hsftln as a result of the extension of the
excellent sewerage system in that part of
cln city. The Thirty-third ward had the
greatest averagc deaths from infectious
Gi-eg-es, the Thirti"th coming next and the
Icath, Ninth ami Twenty-lourth wards fol-
lowing respectively.
IN concluding his report DR.. McCandless
strongly condemns the criminal carelessness
displayed by many persons who. having
CHUraEious diseases in their families, make
uu effort to prevent its spread by inviting
-r5u3s to visit the sick and in cases OF death
even allow little children to view the re-
mains and inhale the germs of the disease.
Guarding against Funeral Contagion.
To prevent this he suggests the passage of
an ordinance requiring all houses to be
lIacarded where diphtheria or scarlet fever
prevail and in case of death that funerals he
strictly private within II hours after DEATH
and that the houses be thoroughly fumigated
Luter direction OF the Bureau OF Health.
OF the 7Ui7 living int nts horn during the
year. 3,3>5 were females. The Fourteenth
ward was the mos productive, having $50
births to its credit, and the Sixth is II close
second. with Dos. The Twenty-seYenth ward
had -O6 the Thirteenth Isl, Twenty first l7S,
seventeenth l6s. The Twenty-secOnd and
T0ir y-rhird wards were the most unpro-
.rrtivc, their records being u and IL births
laspecuvciy. There we're 440 still born chll-
1rsu not in The total given above. The in
urel-e births over 1880 WIS S47.
Tie ma rril@es show decrease of ls1 as
compared with 1891. OF the ceremonies per
formed SIS were Roman Catholic, 33S were
civil uerlOrIued by Aldermen and other Off
Ci-I~ l9 were Hebrew ceremonies, ana the
remaining >S9 were OF the various Protest
aHt denominations. Since the new registra-
t-0u law went into effect in 1870 there have
been in tais city lOS,2l9 births S6,340 mar
rll-cs and $3.50 Deaths
Tor the Iso stion of infectious Diseases
III the report OF Superintendent T. W.
Gakcra number of improvements are sug
-e-tcd, among them one for the erection of
two or more small buildings, separate and
apart from the Nun icipal Hospital on Bed
ford avenue, for the purpose of caring for
and treating destitute persons suffering
from scarlet fever, diphtheria, erysipelas or
other diseases of tnat character, other than
smal lUOx, ami which Will not be received in
The general hospitals. Scarcely a month
goes by without The necessity Tor such pro
vision being emphasized The mum. .cipal
smallpox hospital is built on a Al acre tract
Of land, purchased for S4a 1000 in 1874. Tie
building occupies small portion of the land
and there would be plenty OF ground to lso-
late the smaller buildings suggested without
.l-5 and as there has been an avera e of
only one smallpox patient year for the past
five or six years. the hospital steward and
the health physician could easily care for
patients in the proposed new buildings.
IN referring to the garbage question
Superintendent Baker says: The garbage
furnace on Hill street, Sixth ward, has been
in Ope:atiun four years continuously, de-
srr0yIu- all the garbage collected from the
lower wards of the CITY and the district out
FIfth avenue, to and including Oakland,
which furnishes a larger quantity than
probably the balance of the city. The
natural gas fuel now used Is becoming very
expensive ior garbage burning and the sup
ply is so irregular that it is a question as to
the practicability of continuing its use"
Endorses the New Garbage system.
Referring to the garbage company asking
for legislation. the superintendent indorses
their scheme OF floating garbage down the
river as the correct solution in this city of a
question that is worrying many large cities
OF the country, and he asks his chief to lend
his assistance to having the measure
adopted with roperamendments. The cost
of garbage furnaces last year was as follows:
NaiHrIeS, sLSi5 %; expenses, S5,412; ground
rent, Sl25.
Considerable space ir the Superintendent's
report Is gwen to discussion of vacclna-
iiOu as a preventive OF smallpox. lie thinks
too little attention is paid to this matter by
the public and that the rules regulating the
admission Of children to the schools are not
n closely followed as they should be.
although the sanitary police have notified
every school principal in the city of their
duty in requiring the vaccination of every
pupil admitted. He also complains that not
sufficient attention Is paid to the spread of
infectious diseases by way of the school, and
accuses some Of the city's most reputable
physicians OF giving certificates within n
few days after recovery from some Con-
tagious disease, stating that they
are well and that it would be perfectly safe
Tor them to attend school. This practice he
SAYS endangers the life and health of many
children, buS there seems no way of stop
ping it. Not less than 30 days should elapse