The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-03
The Year 1897 Showed a Large Increase
Over the Previous Year.
THE ANNUAL HEALTH STATISTICS
Mortality Was I4.90 TO the thousand
in 1896 aud Last Year II Exceeds
I6.lO--Reports from Each OF the
sub-Departments of the Board of
Heaith--Dr. Allen aud the Board
Say That There Is No "Biack
Fevero in the City.

heDOttS were TcCelNGu lTOIll Ill the OlH-
GERS and heads of sub departments and
summaries of them read by Secretary
Murray.
Tie report of the president, DR.. w.
A. Paine, was an exhaustive document
reviewing the work of the past year
and noting the needs of the present.
"A more rigid enforcement of the sani-
tary laws would lessen the death rate
he said and If councils would allow
additional help for the health officer
this could be done and would be done.
BY showing that the number of
deaths from various contagious dis
eases exceed the number of cases re-
ported called forth clause in the re-
port deploring the fact that all physi-
clans do not unite. in this respect, with
the health authorities in the prescrib-
ed measures for preventing the spread
of communicable disease.
The citys excellent water supply
evoked a word of praise for the Scran-
ton Gas and Water company and in
commenting on the report of the state
department concerning Scrantons pure
and healthful milk supply he paid a
nice compliment to Food and Milk In
spector r. f. Cullen. In this connec-
tion he advised the passage of an or
dinancc forbidding the sale of milk
from cows fed with brewery grain. A
plea for the paving of the central city
courts closed the report
MORTALITY REPORT
The mortality report showed that the
death rate of the city took a decided
| leap upwards during 1897, reaching a
percentage of 1910 to the thousand of
population. The death roll for the past
| several years has been about 10 to the
| thousand, the percentage for 1896 be-
| ing 1899. No particular cause is as
| signed for the increase. The total
| deaths from natural causes were 1851; ;
total deaths from accidents, 131; pre-
mature births, 13; still-born, ~; total,
1927.
| The total number of deaths last year
was ! ,659
OF last years deaths, $50 We're of
males, S03 females and so not stated.
AS to social condition, 622 were mar
ried 1899 single; rs widows; 80 widow
ers and AZ not stated.
AS to nationality they We're divided
as follows: United States, 9SS; Ireland,
253; Wales. 175; Germany, 1874: Russia
and Poland, II; England, 37 Hungary,
81; Italy, 81; Scotland, 16; Switzerland,
| 10, Austria, 8; Canada, 4; France, l;
not stated, 16.
The division as to age was as fol-
| lows: Under one year, APO; one to five,
317; five to ten, IS; ten TO twenty, 49,;
| twenty to forty. 306; forty to sixty,
271; over sixty, 247; not stated, 81.
The total by wards was as follows:
First, 9S; Second, 12S; Third,33 Fourth,
| IN;F 4.
Eighth. 81; Ninth, 3S; Tenth, 32; Elev-
enth, 81; Twelfth, SO; Thirteenth, IS;
| Fourteenth, 50; Fifteenth, 80; Six
teenth, Go; Seventeenth, AZ; Eighteenth,
2l; Nineteenth, 1922; Twentieth, "a;
Twenty-frst, 81; not stated, ia.
There were 2,Ol4 contagious diseases
reported during the year; l,405 births
and 491 marriages.
Animals to the number of 100 and
29,454 barrels Of garbage We're destroy
ed at the crematory.
THE SANITARY OFFICER.
The report of Sanitary officer Burke
showed 636 complaints attended t.
and 309 tours of inspection made.
A summary of the report of Food
and Milk Inspector Thomas F. Cullen
showed that the number of inspections
made was $685..
The acting inspector of plumbing
John Nelson reported that 800 plans and
specifications had been submitted for
approval; 29O water tests had been
made; 80 smoke tests. He urgently
requests the immediate appointment OF
a plumbing inspector as he is not able
to give the matter the time and atten-
tion it deserves owing to his duties as
building inspector.
The total expenditures for the year
according to the report of Secretary r
j. Murray were S3,9O611; the receipts
were S265,22.
III making his monthly report DR.
Allen, the health officer, gave a lengthy
dissertation on "black fever" and said
that from his own experience he could
positively say that the "black fever
so much dreaded and which caused
such sad havoc in these parts in 1877:
is not epidemic in this city at present
The cerebro spinal meningitis that ha!
been reported from the West Side ant
Bellevue is not the cerebro spina
meningitis that becomes epidemic anC
proves terribly fatal. The black fe
ver' that is now reported, is no NOR
contagious, the doctor pointedly put it
than is a fractured leg. All of this th
board Of health subscribed to anC
wanted 1t sent forth as Official
BLACK FEVER CASES.
DR.. Allen, speaking of the two case
of black fever which were first report
2 ed from Hyde Park, said he had looked
into them and was satisfied that tn
, children had died from convulsons
. DE-. Paine said he knew that one o
the Bellevue cases was pneumonia ant
nothing else. Both doctors hintet
pretty broadly that physicians VIII
liked notoriety were responsible for al
the "black fever" that is prevalent il
the citv.
In regard to the Cumberland Hos
house, DIR. Allen reported that Chic
Hickey had fixed the place up satisfac
tory to all parties concerned.
Food Inspector Cullen reported hav
ing made 1872 inspections. Superintend
ent Thomas of the crematory reported
that 1889 barrels of garbage and fiv
animals had been cremated with tn
use of 2S tons of coal.
The monthly report OF Secretar!
| Murray showed a total of 1856 deaths
= which is a decrease of seven as com
pared with January, 1897, and an in
crease of three as compared with Jan
uary, 1896. Forty-four cases of con
/. tagious diseases We're reported, o
which forty were diphtheria and fou
/ of scarlet fever Forty-eight male
and thirty-six females We're born dur
1 h. -.