St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-15
GUARDIANS OF HEALTH.
State Board Holds It's Annual Meet
Ing I'm ST. Paul,


The Minnesota state board of health
held its annual meeting at the cap
itol yesterday, there being present Dr.
Franklin Staples, Of Winona, the pres
ident; Secretary Hewitt, of Minneapo-
lis; Drs. Willard and Hutchinson, Of
st. Paul; Drs. Bracken and Westbrook,
Of Minneapolis; DR.. Mayo, Of Roch-
ester, and DR.. Wissen, Of Albert Lea
Secretary Hewitt submitted an ex-
haustive report showing that there are
in Minnesota 1893 boards Of health,
organized and cooperating with the
state board, distributed as follows:
Cities, s.; villages and boroughs, 295
and townships, 1857, leaving only q
localities, mostly small village organ
1zations, without active boards of
health
There have been 157 outbreaks of
diphtheria in 81 counties, numbering
472 cases and Il deaths; " Of scarla-
tina in 81 counties, with 343 cases and
deaths, and Of suspected rabies in
. counties, numbering II cases and one
death, the death occurring in ST. Paul
Reference is made, too, to the system
of seaboard notification, whereby the
secretary is kept advised of suspicious
cases. This year the notifications have
included SO immigrants destined for %
counties, their cases including meas
les, scarlatina and smallpox
The mortality report is not complete,
as the returns are not all in, but he
presents comparative statement
showing relative statistics as between
1885 and 1894, thus: The mortality
from Scarlatina was so per cent less
in 1895 than 1894; whooping cough, 80
per cent more; diphtheria, 25 per cent
less; Group, rs per cent less; enteric
fever, IL per cent less; bronchitis, %
per cent more; pneumonia, 25 per cent
more; tuberculous diseases, per cent
more; diseases Of children, 5 per cent
less. The remarkable decline Of diph-
liberia mortality is emphasized
this cause, for the last six years
(772, 720 653, SIS, 443, $3.50, due to the
recognition of the specific causes Of the
disease and the prolongation of the
period of isolation after recovery.
In dealing with enteric fever. the Gee
rotary includes Duluth with other cit
les of more than 5000, and sums up the
average mortality for 1895 as follows:
st. Paul, SO; Minneapolis, so; Duluth,
II; Winona, 1; Saltwater, 5; Mankato, 5;
st. Cloud, 2; Faribault, 1; Red Wing,
3; Brainerd, 6; Rochester, 0. Duluth
shows an increase in the average per
thousand of 8, but there is nothing spe-
cific said, as the board of health has
not proceeded far enough in it's investi-
SollOli. Lie udS DGGIl, however,
according to the secretary, that quite
a number of towns throughout the
state have sent samples of water for
analysis, showing the great interest
that is being taken in the matter Thus
fan the secretary has received from st.
Paul 30 samples; Minneapolis, 800, and
about 200 from various parts of the
state, taken from wells, rivers, lakes,
springs and artesian flows. The sec
rotary has thus far made over SOC bac-
THEOLOGICAL examinations, plate Gull
lures and fermentation tests. Over 500
diphtheria boxes for the collection of
samples and culture have been sent
OUT and examinations and reports
have been made on 460.
The report states that the hog dis
ease prevailing in the southern part
of the state has been shown to be swine
pest, an infectious disease which usu-
ally attacks the lungs. There have
been 1S1 suspected cases of CHAMBERS,
of which Sc have been killed, 70 released
and the others isolated; of tuberculosis
there have been S27 suspects, of which
Ga have been condemned and 75S re-
leased, leaving the others still isolated.
In the latter cases the tuberculin test
has played an important part.
The officers of the board were re-
elected.