The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-06

eral counties provide for the care, em-
ployment treatment and maintenance OF |
such of their insane as do not require |
state hospital care. This plan involves |
the erection of county asylums by the sew
eral counties at their own proper expense
TWO or more counties might unite iof the |
purpose. 1t Is held that the chronic in |
sane could here receive treatment, on an
Industrial basis that would equal In every
way the care given in the state hospitals. |
The inducement to the counties would De
the payment of an adequate weekly per
capita allowance by the state whicn
would reduce the present rate of county
expense, and at the same time MAINTAIN
the state supervision. More than half of
our hospital population is composed of
chronic insane. Most of them could be
| supported at u total cost of from Sl.75 TO
81 per week. This is now being done in
some of our county asylums. Yet our
state hospitals are overcrowded with
them at an average weekly cost of $40.
Some of our county and many of our
municipal almhouses are now fully
equipped for the care and proper treat
| ment of all classes of insane. The local
| asylum once in operation and the state
| hospitals freed from large percentage of
| their inmates would be able to supply all
| the hospital accommodations required and
! thus avoid the necessity for additional Cs-
! ADJUSTMENTS.
STATE SANITATION.
The report of the state board of health
| shows that the act of general assembly,
| approved May H. 1893 has been complied
| with to the extent that there are now
| twenty-five city boards of health and 5S2
| borough boards. The wise provisions then
| enacted into law for the purpose of pre-
| venting the Introduction and spread of in
! fectious or contagious diseases by the reg
ulation of intercourse with infected places,
and by the arrest separation and treat
| ment of infected persons, and by abating
| and removing nuisanCes prejudiCial to
| public health, have been to a large extent
! observed by the people of the state. The
| board of health, however, estimating the
population at six millions, concludes that
jurisdiction these boards
! probably not more than one-twentieth
of the area of the state leaving at least
! one-haf of our population still unprotect-
ed by local boards of health. There are
still a large number of boroughs which
have not yet complied with the require
ments of the law. The sanitary supervi-
lie outside of the jurisdiction of the city
and borough boards is exercised by the
| state board. The care which the latter
authority is able to exercise in the protec-
ton of the public health in these extensive
regions is necessarily imperfect. In case
of an epidemic outbreak it often happens
that the state board receives no notice of
the fact until the pest has assumed serious
proportions, and in many instances it is
dependent upon private citizens for such
information as it may finally secure. The
result of such an incomplete health organ
ization is that epidemic diseases become
widely disseminated among the unpro-
tected portions of our people, and by their
extensive diffusion Il menace to health and
, life. The borough or city threatened with
. an INVASION OIL a spreading epluelllc can
not make itself secure against the disease,
even by the establishment of a sanitary
Gordon because it is impossible in these
days to cut itself off from the outside
world of business and social life.
The need of suitable system of regis
traton of vital statistics is also being
| constantly brought to the attention of the
health authorities. In an enlightened
community there live but few people of
mature age, whose birth, marriage or
l death does not at some time become a
, | for the rOgniZanrt and pOnSiIera-
ton of legal authorities. The alta ainment
of majority with its rights and duties, the
fact and date of wedlock, the inheritance
or conveyance of property, parentage and
nationality, place date and cause of death
and interment, and many other questions
: of a sociological, economic, sanitary, OF
even historical character, often assume
much Importance with reference to many
of our citizens. In the absence of a state
4 system of registration many of the citi-
zens are deprived of their legal rights OF
: are enabled to deprive their fellows OF
their legal rights The history of the reg
t istration department of the health of
e ficers of Philadelphia and Pittsburg shows
+ that inquiries for important information
supposed to be contained in their records
! are almost continual and afford sufficient
! evidence of the public value of such sys
= TEN of registration.
= The act to provide for the registration OF
! births and deaths in the several counties
of the commonwealth, approved June 6
: 1898. constitutes a fair beginning In the
work of state registration. This act re
QulfeS the colleCtlOn OF the necessary VITA
statistics by the assessors, and the record
ing thereof by the clerks of the orphans
= court in each county. The records woull
o he of more general efficiency and useful
e ness if duplicates We're kept in bureau o
!! vital statistics at the state capitol. The
= statistical records accumulated at sin
gle county seat are so small in number "a
to be valueess as a basis for the solution
y of sanitary or social problems, while th'
: duplication and consolidation of these rec
ords would furnish sufficient data for tn,
| nd nj i'm
| pOrtant questions besides furnishing
general storehouse of valuable records fo
the entire state.
In no particular Is the demand for state
sanitation more forcbly and clearly dem
onStrated than in respect to measures
which are manifestly necessary for the
- protection of the public waters of the com
N monwealth against needless contamna
~ tion, and to these attention Is not at thi
10 t''G a oIIorej The false "nncnsion seem
- to have been adopted by those who owl
" property through which or past which
~ public stream flows, that the stream tsel
" is private property to be dealt with as tn
owner chooses. Others, while not assum
ing absolute owner ship. still insist upon tn
y right to employ the stream as common
carrier or depository for all substance
j. of which the owners desire to rid them
It selves and with the refuse of their mine
s. or factories invade its shores and FIRE
quently force it from its ancient channel
:: Thus the riparian owner juStiiies the pres
l. ence in our public streams Of the carcassc
of animals dead of diseases of solid refus
s of tanneries and slaughter houses, tn
l. garbage and night soil of public institu
- items factories villages and towns tn
washings of vast culm deposits and tn
" o1ItDut of abandoned salt wells Sue
- water pollution so injurious to publ
"a health and morals. it must be admitted, /
,s move nreyalent today than when the WOr
nf