The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-12

by raising the lower sash of the window a
few inches in mild weather. Even in
stormy weather sufficient ventilation can
be insured in this way without exposing
the patient TO currents of air, which should
be avoided. The temperature of the room
should be kept at about ~ degrees, AT
ticles used about the patient sueh as
sheets, pillow cases, blankets or clothes,
must be removed from the sick room until
they have been disinfected by placing them
IN a tub of boiling water, IN when car
bolIc acid and Sulphate OF zine nave beeh
added, or in corrosive sublimate. one 10 one
thousand. They should be soaked IN TINS
for at least one hour and then again placed
In boiling water for washing. piece OF
muslin. one yard square, suspended, IN the
sick room constantly, the same in the nan
or doorway leading to the sick room. YES
sells used by the patient should have some
of the fluid constantly in them, ana, lmne-
diately after being used by the patent
emptied and cleaned with boiling water.
Water closets where the discharges are
emptied should be disinfected from day 70
day during the illness by lime or zinc. All
straw and feather beds should pc burned,
and the last should never be replaced An
old feather bed, handed down from genera
ton to generation, is an abomlnatlon IN
the sight of all sanitary nations and peo-
pies. Old sterilized cloths should be used
about the patient instead of handkefchieIs
and when once used should be burned. Inc
patient should be kept well anolnted Win
carbolized vaseline or lysol ana Vasehhe,
as it not only serves to allay the intolefaple
itching, but serves the double purppse 81
rendering the fine branny scales heaVy,
thus preventing them from flying ABOUT the
| room and also probably destroys to a large
extent the infectious principle of this dls-
| ease. The physician. before entering the
sick room, should anoint his race ana
hand with the above ointment; Should put
on a closely fitting gown and hood. AIter
coming out he should remove them, place
them in a close-fitting bag, in wnlch Is a
piece of cotton saturated with IorHlal1e-
hyde. He should wash and diSlntect MS
hands and face before leaving for ms OIL
flee or home. or to visit other patients: me
nurses should use the same ~precagtions
and before leaving the house should take
a bath, with a complete change OF cIoth-
ing. After convalescence IS tully estap-
lished. and after there has been complete
de-squamation. the rooms, ~clothlngi luihi-
ture and everything else that mas Deen IN
the least exposed to the ScarIatin9uS pIl-
son should be thoroughly disinfected. ProD-
ably the best, cheapest and safest germ 9e-
| stroyer is the new disinfectant, forfnaide-
hyde. Because of its cheapness ana SIM
piicity in using, boards of health are gen
orally recommending it. Perhaps an we
are told in it's praise is not entirely war
ranted. but enough is proven TO estapIlSh
it's high value in this direction.
VAN VORHIS DISAPPOINTED.
DR.. George r.. Mccoy, health officer of
| Columbus, contributed a carefully prepared
paper upon the recent epidemic of diphthe-
ria in that city. DR.. F. j. Van Vorhis, the
author of the law establishing the State
Board of Health, read a paper on "rIealth
and Economics in the course OF which he
said:
I'm 1881 the General Assembly of this
State passed a law creating the State Board
of Health. 1t has now been in existence
about sixteen years. When created II was
grudgingly allowed the sum of $4,000 per
annum to do its work; and the Legislature,
with it's eyes on the dollar and with prop
erty interests more in mind than the value
of human life, struck out of the bill. by
which it was created much of the machin-
cry intended to facilitate the board in its
work, because that machinery would cost a
few hundred dollars per annum.
1t is hardly necessary TO say dHylEluS
to impress upon this body of intelligent
workers the Importance of this work; but
| would like to join you, if ! can, in say
ing something that would impress the peo-
pie of this State, and particularly of its
capital city.
Marion county had, in 1890, a population
of 141, 1856. During 1894 there was 1884 deaths
in the city of Indianapolis, and in the coun-
ty of Marion 2,190. This was a death rate
of about sixteen per thousand. An eXaml-
nation of the reports will show that 1t is
a very low estimate TO say that three out
of every sixteen resulted from preYentable
diseases. This, too, without counting con-
sumptives as victims of preventahle dis
ease. 1t would be very easy for the Board
of Health. if supplied with sufficient means
and the power TO make proper regulations,
to reduce the death rate in the county to
thirteen per thousand. What would this re-
duction in the death rate mean, financially?
In the year 1894 it is a low estimate to say
that the unnecessary loss of life in the city
of Indianapolis amounted to about 420. 1t is
estimated by the United States government
that the value of a soldier is $i,0OO; The
estimated value Oh Il III lIC liz
country made by the register generals Of
fee in England is $500. If we take the Eng
lish estimate the money value, upon a pure
ly business basis, with no higher TINA
of a human life than that OF hogs or cattle,
lost in Marion county IN 1894 was $3O5,5UO.
According to the English estimate, certain
ly a very conservative one, there is enough
sick from the same class of preVentable
disease to make 720 days of sickness for
each death, counting those who die and
those who are sick that do not die.
IF this calculation be confined to pre-
ventable deaths in Marion county in 1884,
and the estimated average number or lays
sickness to each death, will make the whole
number of days sickness 3O5,5O0. The Mass
achusettS estimate of the loss by each days
sickness is 81. This is also a very conserva-
tive estimate, and makes the whole loss to
Marion county for 1894, by sickness, $6ll ,OOO.
lost, and the whole loss is $9l6,5G0. This
calculation takes no account OF many losses
that may be traced more or less directly
to the same cause. Most OF these deaths
and of this great loss occurred within the
| corporate limits of the city of indianapolis.
such facts are, no doubt, familiar to most
| of YOU: and | only refer to them here for
the purpose of making a contrast.
In this city we maintain a fire depart
| ment for the protection of property at an
expense of about $100, 900 per annum. We
maintain a police department for the same
purpose at about the same cost we ex-
bend on our streets $25O,OOO more, and run
ourselves in debt for another half million
to buy waste land for public parks, and
with all lthis lavish expenditure to protect
pronerty and Increase the value of it our
XIV health board is allowed $1,000 per an
mum to protect men. women and ehrtdren.
Three or four sanitary policeman are eX-
| pected to police a city twenty miles in cir
| conference. On this small sum and with
this small force the Board of Health is eX-
pected to take care of the sanitary con-
dition and keep a record or the vital sta
tistics of a city of more than lOO,000 lnhabit-
ants. 1t is absurd; it cannot be done. Out
side of the insignificant salary allowed the
secretary of the state board and the stenog-
| raDher for the board, the last Legislature
allowed So. 400 for the work to be done by
this board. Every man who voted for such
an allowance ought TO hang his mead in
shame. 1t is Dreposterous; il is wicked, to
thus curtail the work that is OF 50 great
/ Importance. 1t is utterly impossible to do
more than to make d mere beginning at
what ought to be done by this board. If
the appropriation had been $4,000 it would
moi have been out of proportion to other
annropriations made, when the Importance
of the work is considered.
II am not able to give you a calculation
| for the state similar to that which. / have
| given for Marion county, to show you the
loss that the State has suffered; and if l
was. time would hardly permit 1t to be
done. This much is certain. that there has
loss to the whole State, and 1t will not
amount to less than $15. 100000 per year. If
there was any real and worthy. purpose in
the creation of the state Board Of Health
II was 10 save life and to save our people
from the thraldom of prevcntabie diseases,
and TO give them, to the limit of science.
the ease and comfort that comes from good
l. health. But if we come down from this
higher purpose it may De salu mat The
purpose was to prevent this enormous
pRaiste of productive power and accumulate
capital. rdod ~
| attention of our health officers to-day. the
maenitude of which cannot be exaggerated,
nnl ,,To7 tho solution of which depends