Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-02-15
BOARD OF HEALTH.
Annual Report Submitted to City Council
ny Secretary WigGIesworth.

Annual Report SuDmttteu To COUNCIL IA
ny Secretary wtggIesworth.
The report of the Beard of Health
for last year, which was submitted to
City Council Thursday by Secretary
Wordsworth, by whom it was pre-.
Jared, states that 72O complaints were
made during the year, the board finding
that l5T were grcundless. The executive X
officers are commended for their work.
They served notices as follows: Water
in cellars, 256: in lots, Al; defective
drains. l49; drainage, 116; rainspouts,
&c; hydran's, Il paving in yards, l9l;
connect with sewers, So; to clean out.
buildings, 1,450; clean cellars, 1879
clean yards, 1873; clean alleys, 50; clean
cutters, So; defective sewer inlets 2;
cut weeds ON lots, ia. They also fumi.
gated 800 houses.
The secretary speaks of an improve.
ment in the collection Of garbage and
| OF the result of his visit to number
of cities. He concludes as follows: IN
regret to say that in the month of
| December the City Council passed an
ordinance taking from the Board OIL
Health the power of awarding the cont
tracts for the collection of garbage and
placing the same in the hands of the,
| Council. Thus the City Council has'
assumed all responsibility in the matter
and the collection and disposal Of garl
Lage, enc of the greatest sanitary ques-
tions that confronts progressive cities,
of today, has been made the reward o4
politicaI seryice.'' The report says
there was decided improvement durI
ing the year in the collection of gar,
bage. During the summer months az
special complaint wagon was put inI
service and complaints attended tol
within an hour after being reported.
Representatives of the board had visited
points in the New England States in1
specting methods in use there in the
collection and disposal of garbage LII
was the intention to 'embody new ideas
in the now garbage contracts tf1isNyeay
and had the Board of Health been giyenll
the control of the crematory new'
methods would have been put in praej
tice there.
During the year there we're 1,29El
deaths. This is 81 less than 1898 RasedS
on an estimated population of 1880.
. this, would make the death rate l7G0A
per cent in 1000 inhabitants. This9
compares favorably with the DEATH
rates in other cities. some of which
are as follows: New York, 10. 26; Phial1
delphia, l9.1S: Baltimore, 10. 10; New,
! Haven, Conn, 16. 10; Patterson, N. j. III
1868; Utica, N. y, Is. Ats Richmond,y
Va, 19.4l; Reading. Pa, Il. Ihs2
principal causes of death were con
, sumption and pneumonis. There were
142 deaths from the former disease and
? LOT from the latter. The deaths from2
I zymotio diseases were l9l, which is Y
8 less than last year and IA. SO per cent ID
: the whole number of deaths. Iheg
s deaths by wards were MS follows: First
/ 81; Second, So; Third, SO; Fourth4
t 70; Fifth, l43; Sixth, ia; Seventh \
Q 209; Eleventh, So; Twelfth, 3d.. Thd1
, number of bodies brought here for III
. torment was 244, while 1853 were senN
: away. The number of still births vas
] 9i of which SO we're white, 27 coloredx
Q "a male and AZ female. The number Of
$ births was 1872, OF which 1,2l5 weraA
Q white and 157 colored; I'll male aug
66l female This is 112 in excess Of 1895
Q The number of marriages for the veal
j. wss 65i, 578 being white and " coli
# ored. There were but 573 marriages u
e 1893. The MARI iages by months were
S as follows: January, white, 50 coloredlH
!. 8; February, white, SO, cololed, NJ
March, white. 60, coloied, 6; April
b white, 80, coiored, 6; May, white III
:, coloIed, 5; June, white, 81, colored,
d July, white, 81, coloied, 6; AugusN
IS white, 26, colored, s; September, whitsd
% Ill, colored. 10, October, white,
b colored, Z; December, white, GO, eel b
d ored, 4. y
Ie Meat Inspector Adele reported theh
It inspeotions 5,736 head of cattle, IA
1t calves, 1898 sheep, l4,7S5 hogs, L4H
Ut carcasses of beef, 542 of calves, l5,l N
3, sheep, 760 Of hogs. He condemned
l. carcasses of beef, calves, s Of mutt M
IL and 3 COWS, u