The Frankfort roundabout. [volume] (Frankfort, Ky.) 1882-1908, 1900-10-20
CENSUS OF CUBA.

To the Adjutant General, Division
of Cuba.
Sir:-I have the honor to for
ward herewith report of Vital Sta
tistics of Havana for the month of
, September. The general death rate
of this month makes a very favor
able comparison with that of any
September for the past ten years.
The report shows that we had 80
/ deaths, which gives a rate of 25.68
per thousand for the year. This is
considerable less than any Septem-
Der for the last ten years with the
exception of last year, when we
had 1876 deaths. This September
we had 81 more deaths from Yellow
Fever than we had last September.
This, of course, considerably affects
our mortality rate; but the great
est item is the fact that in Septem-
Der of last year Havana had Just
passed through a severe famine for
two years, and it is well known
that famine and pestilence kill off
the old, very young and invalids
generally, and that for n short time
after such calamities the death
rate is considerably reduced. The
number of this class were greatly
reduced for the last four months in
1899. This, of course. must be
taken into consideration. The
deaths for September, 1899, of chill
dren under one year of age were 81 !;
for this September they were 124.
This shows a large increase in the
number of children under one year,
due TO the fact that during the
nrnnnHinor fhran xyno hn hf,.kh 30.
had dropped TO a very low point,
and most of the children born had
died through pestilence and fam
inc. Taking in the items of Yellow
Fever and deaths under one year
of age, "a in one case and 33 in the
other. our deaths would be reduced
by 81, which is the true rate as
compared with the last three years.
tuberculosis shows a steady de-
crease, the rate last year being 3. 92
per thousand, that for this year be-
ing 2.68 per thousand.
We had 81 deaths from Yellow
Fever. This compared with the
number of deaths for the same
months during the past ten years
is much under them. The only
years which have smaller num-
| DOA alO AOOOs 90 IiN OOs
| ing the much larger nonimmune
population at present in Havana
than was in Havana during the
pretty good showing. The average
for September during the past ten
years is 72.40, which is very much
| greater than the number we give
this month. OF the cases occurring
| in Coz Tor hara A -.
and 1856 were Spaniards. The num-
Der OF deaths among Americans
was 8, among the Spaniards 81,
giving percentage Of deaths 7.81 per
cent Americans and 1899 per cent.
Spaniards.
The immigration has been very
large and brings us a large quantity
of nonimmune material, but the
steps taken by the Military Gov
eminent for establishing a Bureau
OF immigration, and to put an inn
migration settlement in a healthy
locality outside of the city, will
greatly Obviate this. The idea be-
/ ing TO collect all the immigrants
and take them right from the ship
ping TO this settlement, without
coming near the City of Havana,
and then distribute them to their
various destinations around the
Island. This would have more inn
mediate effect than any other meas
ure, l think, that can be taken at
present.
The amount of cleaning and sani-
tary work, as shown by the report,
has been very largely increased.
call attention to the very large
number of premises. cesspools, etc.
examined this month as compared
with any former month. Also the
large number cleaned and disin-
fected.
We have now employed total of
fifty-twO inspectors, constantly in
specting the condition of houses,
and two hundred and forty other
employees constantly engaged in
various ways in attending to the re-
ports of these inspectors. While
this Department is doing a great
deal of very useful work, and /
think that the hygienic condition
of the city has been and will be
considerably improved by work on
these lines, the permanency of the
work is sharply limited by the con-
stantneed of a sewerage system. No
one can appreciate this as does the
Sanitary Officer from the daily ex-
animation of 800 reports of house
inspections, in every one of which
the question of disposal of sewerage
comes up. No permanent improve
ment can be effected, in my opin-
ion, until Havana is given some
sort of sewerage system, and the
sooner this is done the better. 1t
is by far the most pressing need
that the Sanitary Department has
before it at present.
Very Respectfully,