The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-01
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH
SIXTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT SUD-
MITTED TO THE GOVERNOR.
The General Appropriation of $4,000
misunderstanding of the States
Water SuppIy-yitaI Statistics.

]. N. Hurry, secretary of the State Board
of Health. yesterday submitted the six
teenth annual report Of the board to Gov
ernor Mount. During the year at the office
of the secretary 2,S60 letters have been re-
ceived and 1850 letters have been written.
Analysis of water has been made in ninety
seven cases. Ninety-four diphtheria exam
nations have been made and sanitary sur
veys have been made of the State Prison,
State Reformatory, the four insane hos
pitfalls, Women's Prison, deaf and dumb and
blind Institutes, Home for the Feeble
minded Youth and Reform School.
The report shows that after the salaries
OF the secretary and clerk have been paid,
together with other necessary expenses, the
appropriation Of $4,000 is exhausted. The
members of the board are not compensated
for their services, and their expenses in at
tending meetings and in performing sani-
tary work are paid out of the general APP
preparation for the boards maintenance.
The following summary of the years vital
statistics is shown: Number of deaths,
1924; number Of births, 1924; number of
marriages, 20, 419. According to the reports
submitted to the secretary during the year
the mortality Of the following diseases was:
Diphtheria, 943; pulmonary phthisis, LISA;
pneumonia, 1,1S1; scarlet fever, So; typhoid
fever 655; measles, 81. Concerning these
figures the report says: Counting the pop
ulation of Indiana at $3.50, 900, the death rate
from the above reported figures would be
7.21 per 900 of population-a figure certainly
one-half too low, for the rate cannot be less
than 10 per 1,000-more likely II or Is per
1000. Even the number of births and mar
riages are not accurate, the former prob
ably being one-tenth greater than reported
and the deficiency in the latter is unknown.
The question, Why is this so? is most per-
tinent. Parke county has made no report
for the year, and for the last quarter no
reports have been received from Lake,
Scott and Warren counties The prosecu-
tor of Parke county has been informed OF
this defiance of the law by Parke's officials,
hich is as far in the matter as the State
Board of Health can go under the law.
The health officers of Lake, Scott and War
rem counties have been repeatedly urged to
perform their duties but no response mas
been received"
The report further says: Accepting the
deaths from consumption to be 394S, twice
the number actually reported, then out or
every one thousand deaths in Indiana dur
ing the year ending Sept 80 last, 12l are
TO be attributed to this disease. The cor
responding figures in the whole United
States in 1890 was 121.5. 1t therefore ap-
pears that as far this disease is con-
cerned we are no worse OFT than other
States The same method of calculation
applied to typhoid fever shows 4O.3 deaths
out of every thousand deaths, The GORE,
spending figures for the whole United
States in 1850 was 32.2 This difference does
not speak we'll for Indiana, for typhoid fe-
yer is a filth disease.
IN, he of t9 c a IL
tary laboratory the report says: without
a well-equpped sanitary laboratory the
State Board of Health can do very little
toward determining the causes of diseases
enforcing the laws against food adultera-
ton. To establish a laboratory only $2,0O0
would be required, and the annual benefits
would be one hundred times this amount.
References to the chemical and bacteria
logical report will show that of the ninety
seven water analyses made it was found
that eighty-two of these waters were
sources of disease. The whole ninety-sev
en- were suspected or they would not have
been sent to us, and as result OF this
work alone not little sickness ana pos
Sibly some deaths will be prevented 1t is
desired in this connection to call attention
to the conditions injuriously affecting
sources of public water supply, which grow
worse each year and the remedy CORE
spondingly more difficult to apply. The
population along our streams is rapidly in
creaSing, and as villages grow into cities
sewer systems are introduced and the
streams made use of for sewage disposal.
Often the same stream affords the only
available source OF public water supply
for such towns. Each is at the mercy of
the town above. The remedy is to place
the whole question of sewage disposal and
water supply in the hands of central au-
thority.
The report observes that the appropria-
ton should be sufficient to render 1T pos
sible for the State Board of Health to full
fill the requirements of the law and the
duties placed upon the organization.