The record-union., 1892-06-14
HEALTH OF THE STATE.
Report of the Secretary of the State
Board for May.
Continued Decrease of Fatalities from
Respiratory Complaints-Eacts
About q Leprosy Case.

DR.. ]. r. Laine, Secretary Of the State
Board of Health, in his report for the
month of May states that mortality re-
ports from Ito cities, towns, villages, and
sanitary districts having an aggregate
population of SO4, ,553 show 1866 deaths
from all causes during the month of May.
! This corresponds 10 death rate of 81
per 1000 for May, or 1872 per annum.
! There were l62 deaths due to consump-
ton, 66 to pneumonia, Al to bronchitis, S
to congestion of the lungs, 10 to diarrhea
and dysentery, II to cholera infantum, A
to other diseases Of the stomach and
bowels, 20 to diphtheria, IL to Group, Is to
scarlatina, 6 to measles, IL to whooping-
cough, II TO typhoid fever, to malarial
feYers, to cerebro-spinal fever, 81 to can
Ger, to erysipelas, 50 to diseases of the
heart, to alcoholism, to influenza, and
478 to all other causes.
This shows continued, though small
| reduction, III fatalities from respiratory
! diseases.
IN January there We're 595 deaths from
diseases OF the lungs, in February $50, IN
March $50, III April 500, and in May 217.
Inere were So deaths in January from
y
IN April, and in May.
PREVAILING DISEASES.
Reports of prevailing diseases from 70
| towns and sanitary districts outside of
the large cities show Is cases of acute
pneumonia, IL of pleurisy, 1856 of acute
bronchitis, of congestion of the lungs,
l54 Of diarrhea, 65 of dysentery, 25 of
cholera infantum, ~ of cholera morbus,
81 OF diphtheria, OF Group, % of scarIa-
| tina, 81 of measles, So OF whooping-cough.
| $50 OF malarial fevers, Ia OF typhoid fever.
80 Of eryslpelas, II Of Inflammation of the
! brain, IL of Inflammation of the bowels,
| 10 OF inflammation of the kidneys, 63 of
influenza, n Of neuralgia, 20 of rheuma-
! tism and 80 Of tonsilitis.
| Measles are reported at Merced and
| Santa Clara, but are also prevalent in
other places. WhOoping- prevailed
in number of localities. Diphtheria
was reported epidemic at Riverside and
| College City, and scarlatina at Merced.
A CASE OF LEPROsY.
A case Of leprosy was recently dis
covered in Oakland which came not long
ago from the Hawaiian Islands. The
local Board of Health was disturbed con-
corning the disposition which should be
made of the case, inasmuch as there are
no accommodations for lepers in CaIifor-
MIA outside of the county pesthOuses.
The leper "a wOman) relieved the city of
| her unWelcOme presence, and was next
found in the City and County Hospital
in San Francisco. The Health DEPART
ment OF Oakland is naturally sOlicitous
concerning the large family of which the
! leprous woman was a member, all of
whom are still dOmiciled there, including
| the woman's infant, only two months
old.
The following resolution by the Oak
land Board Of Health will show the help
less condition in which any city or county
may find itself placed, when brought to
confront an unusual sanitary problem,
There is appended, also, an extract from
letter by DR.. William NJ Lawlor
Quarantine Officer and United States
Quarantine Inspector at San Francisco:
OAKLAND, Cal, June 4.I892.
heS0tUed, Ihat the Secretary notify the State
board OF Health or there being q large family
in Oakland, one Of the members OF which a
woman with leprosy, was recently taken to
the pesthouse in san Francisco; that her child,
| two months old, is still with the family in
| Oakland; that this family recently came from
| the Sandwich Islands; that the woman
had leprosy before leaving the Sandwich
Islands, but was permitted to land in san
| Francisco, from which place they came to
! Oakland. What measures should be taken. If
any. in dealing with this family? Yours re-
! spectfully, PAUL ]. SCHAFER,
| Secretary Board of Health.
| The following is an explanatory ex-
| tract from letter by DR.. William NJ.
| Lawlor, Quarantine Officer at San Fran
cisco:
have made inquiries as to the case of Iep
| rosy that was discovered in Oakland and
| subsequently found in the City and County
| Hospital. From all that l can learn the pa.
! tient is afflicted with the disease in her hands
| and feet. l call attention to the fact that as
| leprosy is not disease that comes under the
TOO n oar ~, ays1FrF liTs
| smallpox or other contagious diseases that il
| would be an easy matter for a person afflicted
as the case under consideration, to bass nv
| inspection without detection, and in this con-
nectiOn | wish to call attention to the fact
| that the case under discussion was in the hos
| pital from Monday until the following Satur-
| day without being discovered as a case of
In this connection would respectfully sug-
| gest to the Governor the prOpriety of calling
| the attention of the authorities at Washing.
! ton to the urgent necessity of having a COM
petent medical officer connected with the
! United States immigration Department to
| make the examinations of all passengers
| coming under the Immigration Act, and by
! this means have double check on all cases
/ likely to be imported into the State With
( leprOsy the most urgent and cOmulete vioi-
lance should be exercised to prevent its in
! PRODUCTION for we are menaced with this
! danger by the large and incrca3ing immigra-
! tion nom the hawaiian Islands of q class Of
| immigrants IN the extreme undesirable, con.
| Sisting OF the poorest class OF Portuguese and
/ japanese, who have been working under con
! tract
The resolutions passed by the Oakland
! Board Of Health, with reference to the family,
| show the necessity of having State Iazaretio
! established, where such cases could be kept
! under observation.
| 1t does not matter what legal points
! this case may involve. 1t serves merely
| to indicate that it must soon become the
! duty Of the State to care for the unfortu-
| mates who may be found afflicted with
! this incurable and loathsome disease,
! within the borders of its territory, in a
| manner more appropriate and humane
| than IN the county pesthouses.
! Nearly every populous county in the
! State has more than once cared for Iepers
! in pesthouses, but San Francisco has
| borne the greatest share OF the burden.
! Those counties which have found it in
! convent ent to erect a pesthOuse have
kindly assisted the afflicted person to the
metropolis, and in this way a consider
able number have been cared for nearly
all the time, which properly belonged in
4 other counties. Sacramento has had a
number of cases. \ olo had one or two
IN recent years. Fresno had one not long
ago.
The State Board of Health have under
! consideration bill, to be presented to
the next Legislature, providing for laz-
arctic IN which to seQuestrate this class OF
| incurables, for all must agree that it is
neither prudent nor proper to treat them
as they are now being cared for.
Republican State Convention.