The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-09

and the balances in each fund at the
close OF business on Dec. 81, 1898.
SeCond---A detailed statement of all
the orders drawn and countersigned
and to whom paid from Jan. 1, 1898, to
the close Of business on Dec. 81, 1898.
Thrd--A reference to the receipts Of
the office from Jan. /, 1898, to the close
of business on Dec. 81, 1898.
There were 1i3o births reported during
the year, of which 76l were males and
67S were females, all white. An increase
of "a as compared with the year 1897.
1t has been questioned whether these
figures represent the actual number of
births In the city.
1t is impossible, though, to point to any
particular violation of the regulations.
II physicians and midwives could un-
derstand AS / do, the Importance of hav-
ing correct registration. they would prob
ably feel it their duty, and Immediately
upon the birth of a child or children,
make return to the board.
This department cannot be charged
with any neglect in the matter of enforc-
ing the law. primarily because we have
no direct means of knowing in what fam
lilies these cve2ts occur.
Estimating our population at 10000,
which we believe to be a fair calculation,
this gives us a birth rate of 1905 per thou
sand population. The excess of deaths
(actual city mortality over births was SO.
The usual monthly mortuary reports
have been prepared from certificates in
my office, and have been sent out regu
larly as per Instructions; from them l
have prepared a statistical report great
L. cnlarging upon that of former years.
Physicians do not always accurately
state to the department the true or real
| cause Of death in their reports or GER
tifcates.
CAUSES OF DEATH.
In tabulating the cause of death, am
often at a loss under what head to place
| the cause of death given. To obtain cor
rect vital statistics, the primary and Sec
| ondary causes should be stated in the
certificates, ard no such indefinite terms
should be used as, for instance, inanitiOn,
exhaustion. shock, heart failure, heart
disease, paralysis, dropsy. cancer. yellow
iaundice, which are but secondary to "or
| the sequelae." Every person who dies
from any cause, dies of heart failure, /.
e., when the heart fails to beat; there
fore, does it not seem ridiculous to use
such terms With the appreciation of the
| board l will establish a rule in the Of
| flee to return to physicians, death certi-
| ficates improperly filled out.
There were 1725 burial permits issued.
! the same being for 1,49S deaths, actual
CITY HlOIlollly, e5 aCClutNtS, lllCluullS UP
erations therefore; suicidal, hOmlCidal,
81 stil births, IS premature and 81 bodies
| brought from elsewhere for interment in
| cemeteries here.
The accidental deaths having no bear
| ing on the sanitary condition of the city,
and the suicidal and hCmicidal, prema-
| ture births and still births, but remote
| ly, they have been separated, and the
| death rate given for each, and we find
| rate of 15S for the total. and 1861 per
| thousand, for those that died as the re-
| suit Of disease the latter is actual city
| mortality
The diseases that give the largest death
| rate are cholera infantum, diphtheria,
! meningitis, pneumonia, paralysis and
phthisis pulmonGIis.
| Ages by years dividing into periods Of
| infancy, all under two years, childhood
two to ten; youth, ten to twenty; manhood.
| twenty to sixty, and all over sixty the de-
! cline of life we find in infancy, 39i: child
| hood, 2S2; youths, S5; manhood. J2i the
declined Of life, 271, ard i'll defined, 27
The months that give the largest death
rate are August and September with
156 and 15+ respectively.
| The months that give the smallest death
rate are November and May, with 81 and
| 100 respectively.
! The wards that give the largest death
| rate are the Fourth and Nineteenth
| The wards that give the smallest death
| rate arc the Third and Eighteenth.
| In the month OF October, the largest
number Of contagious diseases were re-
| ported, and in the month of October, the
| largest number of deaths resulted there
| from, 1t was about this time that the
board investigated the state of affairs at
| No. 2s school.