The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-08-06
THE HEALTHIEST CITY
Topeka Shown to Have a Record
for July Unprecedented
TIE CITTS HEALTH REPORT

To BE Presented by City Physician
Hibben at the Council Meeting To-
night
J. B. Hibben, city physician, viii pre-
sent the following to the city council to-
night:
TOPEKA, KAs., Aug. I, 1894
OFFICE OF SEC'Y BID. OF HEALTH
Honorable Mayor and Council OF the City Of
Topeka.
ENrLEMEN:-Ide desire herewith to sub
NIT my report for the month Of july
The health Of Topeka has never been
better in her history. Her death rate Is
less than any other city of her size IN the
union There IS practically not case OF
contagious disease in the city. While
the city of Atchison has had eighty-five
cases of smallpox during the past four
months, our city has escaped the dread
disease
The cause of the health of Topeka is
not from accident or chance, but from
the wise provision made by the mayor
and city council during the past year for
its protection. Preventive medicine Is
the medicine of the present and future.
The way to prevent sickness is to remove
the cause Of disease. 1t has been clearly
demonstrated that filth breeds disease.
Decaying animal and vegetable matter
Is the home of disease breeding germs,
these cOntaminate the air, water and
soil. With stagnent pools of water,
barns and stables, decaying animal mat
ter from the meat stores and human ex-
crement in shallow pits in the water clos
cts all add to the death dealing nuisance
but by eternal vigilance these death fac
tors can to d great extent be destroyed or
removed, and it is to the credit of the
city administration, through the labors
of the sanitary police force, that the city
has been thoroughly cleaned and kept
clean, and disease to a great extent ban
ished.
A mans life is estimated to be worth
$4,000 The saving of one life, is a saw
ing 70 the city and community of 5000
If but one life was saved, from a tinan-
cial standpoint, it would pay to not only
maintain but to increase the sanitary
force Even if life is not destroyed, the
loss of time in sickness and from the ex-
ira cost and suffering to the Individual is
large consideration, especially when it
can be prevented
The work Of the sanitary force has
been effective and this vigilance should
be increased With the heat of summer
and the approach of autumn. when vege-
tables begin to decay and the grass and
leaves are dying and the rains come, we
have condition favOIing the develop
ment Of miasmatic diseases such as in
termittent aud remittent fevers, COM
monty called bilious fevers, and also
typhoid fever. These can, to a large ex-
tent be prevented.
While our city is healthy, there are
conditions present and preventable which
favor disease. First water used from
wells in city where there are SO many
vaults and cess pools as we find IN To
peka. IS always open to suspicion. The
water may be clear and cold and palata-
bic even with seepage from these filth
receptacles in them. Persons who use
we'll water should have it examined at
regular intervals, say quarterly, and be-
tween times if any suspicion of filth is
present as to its purity.
Especially should this be done if a
vault or cess pool is v thin from fifty to
seventy-five feet of the well. Second,
shade trees are desirable in a prairie
country, but in different homes in this
city during a short wet SPELL persons
going into the house can notice a damp,
musty Odor which is indicative Of too
much shade, and hence not favorable to
health. Sunshine in the house favors
happiness and health; too much shade,
desP ondency and disease.
1.-The time to prepare for war is in
time of peace The time to prepare for
sickness is before it comes, to prevent it.
At least one-fourth Of the sickness in
cities comes from preventable causes,
lax sanitation, filth.
We congratulate the mayor and coun-
ell on the broad guaged, scientific view
they have taken on the subject Of public
health, and can assure them from a pro-
fessonal standpoint that great deal of
sickness has been averted and lives saved
by few hundred dollars spent in keep
ing the city clean. "A nations wealth is
a nations health" and the same may be
said Of a family, community, or Of a
city.
On the first of July there were five
cases of scarlet fever and six cases of
measles During the month there were
reported four cases of scarlet fever and
one of measles; all of which have been
fumigated, there not being one case of
cOntAgiOn IN the city at this time.
There were reported during the month
thirty-four births, fourteen males and
twenty females. There were tifty-one
deaths from the following causes:
COnvulsiOn 1;meningitis consumption
1; Inflammation Of bowels A; congestion Of
lungs 4; softening of brain l; apoplexy
B.; whooping cough /; stomach trouble 1;
colera infantum 10; Brights' disease 2;
still-born 2; phthisis 1; drowned ?; dropsy
1; blood poison 1; pleurisy L; accident /;
cancer !. heart failure l peritonitis I;
unknown 3. Total deaths, 81.
Respectfully submitted,
J. B. HIBBEN. NJ. D.,
City Physician and sec'y board of health.
-0~r -~.~-n-