The herald., 1894-01-01
A VERY FINE HEALTH SHOWING,
Health officer Powers on Our
Climate Results.
The City Shows Up in Exceedingly
Fine Shape for the Year.
Tho Rass 1851 Per Thousand on the
Low Estimate of 65,o0o POpula-
tlon-Aualysis of the Deaths.
An Interesting Report.

is the annual report made by Health
Officer Powers, in which be gives care
full and accurate analysis of the health
statistics OF the city for the past year.
This report, which was approved by the
city board of health, is as follows:
have the honor to submit to you the
annual report of the transactions OF the
health Office for the fiscal year ending
November 80, 1893:
The death rate for this year has been
based upon m estimated population OF
65 900, which estimate has been verified
by the great register and the school CEN
Gus. There have been 954 deaths in the
city during the year, which gives
death rate of 14.6l per 1000. OF thsse
054 deaths 1879 were OF persons who had
resided in the city less than one year;
l46 OF persons treated in the various
ospitas OF the city, aud 100 were certi-
fed to by the coroner. In order to make
the report more ineligible and in
accord with the views of the latest
and best writer's, the causes OF death
have been classified under nine heads,
as folio VS.: 1876 from specific infectious
! diseases 81 from diseases of the digestive
system, 2S3 from diseases of the respir-
atory system, 81 from diseases OF the
nervous system. 81 from diseases OF the
circulatory eystem, blood and ductless
glands, 81 from diseases OF the genito-
urinary organs, 80 from constitutional
diseases, 90 from intoxication, violence
and accidents, and sc from miscellaneous
diseases. Just how many deaths from
other assigned causes than specific in
4 fectious diseases that should have been
classified under that head it 10 difficult
TO state. Yet it can be confidently as-
serted that all or most OF the deaths re-
ported as caused by memhraneous Group
should nave been classed as diphtberia,
and that many OF the deaths reported
cauaed by consumption or phthisis"
should have been reported as cases OF
tuberculosis, hence we would have the
number OF deaths in specific infectious
diseases, or preventable dlaeases. IN our
report increased and those from other
causes, particularly diseases OF the resplr-
aSory system. much reduced.
OF the 954 deaths reported, 100 were
OF children under the age of one year.
The assigned causas OF the deaths OF the
children were principally as follows
Twenty Eve from diseases OF the dlgeR-
tive system, 20 from diseases OF respira.
tory evstem, 81 from constitutional dis
eases and 20 from specific infectious dis
eases.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
The city is to be congratulated upon
not having been visited with any severe
epidemic during the pact year. Not one
case of smallpox has been treated st the
city hospital during the year. Several
rspected cases have been reported, but
upon investigation not one proved to be
smallpox.
There have been 36 deaths from
typhoid fever. The number OF perscpe
reported sick OF this disease does not iar
exceed the number of deaths. The
phvscians do not seem to understand
that they are required to report cases oil
typhoid fever. However, we hope dur
ing the coming year to enlist their as
distance in trying to control this diseaee
which 10 more easily prevented than
cured.
One hundred and seventy-eight cases
OF infectious diseases, for which the
houses were piacarded, have been re
ported to the health office. OF these
liz cases were OF scarlet fever, and 81
we're cases OF diphtheria. Four of the
ll2 caees Of ecarIet fever died. and 26 o
the 66 cases OF diphtheria were fatal.
desire to state that in every inetance th,
, physicians have been careful and pains
: taking in assisting US in preventing
! the epread OF scarlet fever and diph
: liberia. And there has been but one in
stance in which the dread disease o
diphtheria threatened to become cpl
demic, and that was in one room of th'
4 Gates-etreet school in the First ward
where no doubt the disease was carried
a by pupil before physician had beer
;. consulted. Among the children OF thi
u clasa room, or their relatives, ak othe
cases developed. We advised the closin
!, of the room for two weeka, which wa
: done, end / am sure by this means O
isolatiug the children, and by disinfec
;, ton, the further spread of the disease wa
= prevented. In every instance we hav
had the premises thoroughly inspected
!, and almost invariably where diphthel
itlc cases were reported we found eithe
J, the building or premises in an unean
y terv condition. The lack of proper san
itation usually consisted of defectiv
= plumbing, foul ceHepoola and priv
d vaults or accumulatione OF manure an
filth.
L BIRTHS.
;, There have been 1880 births rsporte
10 the health office. OF these 78 vel
8, still births, and OF the rs still births
3, we're reported with the assigned caus
p premature birth" Four of the sti
9, births we're reported with the assigne
3. causes as follows Internal hemorrha@
=, Of the mother, twisting of the cord
8, utero, malfol nation of the child an
8, prolapsus of the cord. The other
v, were reported without any assignt
10 cause. The following questions natu
ally arise: Why SO many still hirtht
C. Why 80 many without any assigns
o. cause? Why so many with the sasignt
g. cause premature birth ?"
- MEAT INSPECTOR.
The meat inspector has been faithful
70, and industrionely at work since his a
IS, pointment a little over two months az
W. He has made 2045 visits and inspectio
OF the slaughter houses and meat mar
u u ets of the city. A beneficial infiuen
~ has been wrought by the labors OF 81
,s, inspector in preventing the eals OF b
lu meats and poultry, and in keeping /
markets il. a more sanitary conditi
u than heretofore. lie has seen fit in
- judgment to condemn meat OF poult
8; at liz different times and place.
NUIsANcEs.
Since the first Of March the inspectt