The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-01-28

| lance and prompt Isolation with
quarantine OF sufficient length Tor thor
ough disinfection, the more especi-
ally as cholera is supposed to develop
within two, three or five days, and the
Atlantic voyage lasts longer. OF course,
as baggage and freight may carry the
germs of disease, thorough disinfectiou
is only common prudence Typhus fever
is much more difficult to handle, as it 4.
time of development is from ten to TWEEN
ty-one days
do you think I asked, "that in the
ideal city Of the future contagious dis
eases can ever be wholly prevented?"
81 have an idea, and think it is shared
by the members of the Board, that they
can he practically, if not wholly Small
pox, typhus and cholera the most dread
ed Of all diseases, have been robbed OF
their terrors We believe that scarlet
fever and diphtheria, by thorough inspec-
ton and complete isolation Of cases which
do occur, can be stamped out, and that
before many years, as smallpox, typhus
anG cholera have been. Or the first Of
January a dozen disinfectors for these
two diseases Will be appointed, and they
will De vigorously fought.
Then disease Of contagious nature
can be brought down to a minimum, If
OF wholly eradicstedP'
| g 1t is q fair inference Smallpox is an
| instance in point. twenty-five years ago
! there wero several hdndred deaths year
| from it in New York Now we have in
some years 40 cases at all, and never any
except it is brought here. OF course, a
difficulty in dealing with it is that it will
often be concealed until death makes
| q further concealment impossible, by
which time whole neighborhood may
have been exposed As to the value
Of vaccination there can be no possible
doubt. The experience Of the Health
Board Is absolutely conclusive upon that
point. The objections to vaccination usu
ally arise from D mistaken notion that
noxious diseases may be introduced into
the blood. There is no danger of this
sort in New York, at least, for all the
virus used is pure vaccine matter,
from the city's own farm. Of course,
when the blood is not in good condition,
the vaccinated subject may have bad
arm, but there is nothing worse to be
apprehended. "
"And as to the so-called chiIdren's
diseases ?''
Measles was last year included in the
sanitary code, and will hereafter be
treated with all possible precautions. 1t
is one Of the most contagious of all dis
eases and very dangerous. Once let it
get foothold in a founding asylum or
children's hospital and it is almost i'm
possible to drive it out. In dealing with
all contagious diseases thre are two un-
falling rules, isolation and disinfection.
These can be assured in private house
holds as we'll as IN a hospital Patients
need never be removed TO a hospital
except in cases where proper isolation and
attendance cannot be provided at home.
But prevention is better than cure, and
when danger Is apprehendod from cholera
there is no better rule Of conduct than
the little Don't circular issued last sum-
mer by the Board of Health and copied
everywhere. Disease often comes by way
of the water supply, and the thorough
boiling of water destroys the germs
Medical science is doing much for the
prevention OF 6isesse, but the necessity
for individual care and watchfulness
will never be wholly lacking Even the
best Boards of Health cannot do every
thing"
From the records of DR. Roger S. Tracy,
the Deputy Register, it appears that the
death rate of New York has fallen
steadily since the record of it was kept
with anything like accuracy. Before 1851
the data are not very reliable, but such
high rates as rs per thousand in 1882,
cholera time; "a 80 per thousand in 1884,
same cause in part; $500 in 1S47; 46. 20
in 184g; 4G.SG in 1854, and an average of
nearly 35 from 1868 to 1865 are reported.
Since 1888 tho rate has not touched 81
once, varying between rs I5 in 1888 and
"a 5S in 1890. This rate is, partly for
climatic reasons, higher than in the large
English towns, but it is very much
lower than the rate in tho great CONT
mental cities OF Europe which grow
steadily worse in this respect the farther
east one goes, winding up with terrific
mortality in St. Petersburg, Buda Pesth
and Cobstantinople.
Or take specific diseases. Smallpox
killed 1880 people in 1915. For three
years past it has averaged less than two
victims per year. Scarlet fever killed
2,066 in 1880, 40S in 1890 Typhus fever
killed 43S in 1868 alone and one in the
three years from 1889 to 1891. Here is
where the Health Board does its fine
work
But people die still. Yes, and faster
than ever perhaps fran cancer, heart dis
ease, insanity, Bright'S disease and the
like. Diphtheria is, too, though a conta-
gious disease; but let it have care
The doctors are going to tackle that too,
now.
These figures show what can be done
and what can't Cholera prevention is
one Of the possibilities. Hamburg, in /
stead of preventing ii. pretended, until /.
too late, that she hadn't it, Hamburg IS /
two cities, one splendid new, rich; one /;
old. squalid, miserable. Dirty Hamburg (
took sick first. Clean Ham burg lied /
about it until clean ana dirty alike vera /
racing BY thousands for the open graves. |
Are there any Hamburgs in America.
OWEN LASGDoN.
The more we complain of our trials the /
heavier our burden grows If. on the /