The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-04-10

APRIL PROMISES EVEN MORE.
Mortality for the First Week. 80.
and Health Department nhi-
Gals Expect an Increase
Danger in Dfau.htS.

Pneumonia. that most dreaded ~ dis
eases. has made fearful rav.ees in the
population of the city during the winter.
:'iic mortality from this cause in March
of the present. year has been greater than
tnat il. :h. corresponding month in any Of
the years in the Health Department records
Tor Il .ii;d or "a century. There were 20l
deaths from this cause alone last month.
AZ compared with l&9 in the same month of
last YEAR. Alarming as this showing is. It
bids tair TO he e~clipsed by the figures for
the present mGuth-Aprii. The mortality for
tho first week of This month reaches Il
total Of siXty-sevcn. and if the remaining
three weeks merely maintain this average
without increasing the figures the mortality
list for the month will have established u
new record. In the opinion Of the Health
department officials. however, the figures
Tor the first week in April are likely to be
increased in the remaining three weeks Of
the month. for the reason that, as warm
weather approaches. people are prone 20
became moro careless in exposing them
selves to draughts. and ncglecting To take
the ordinary precautions which they have
vigorously observed all winter. The month
- .NttiI ii'' itli- tt'ii Ell ny R!iN -
clans as the most dangerous month of the
year for the spread of this inSiiiors dis
case. The weather is most deceptive at this
time Of year. and the ordinary citizen ex-
poses himself ungonSCiouSly 10 conditions
which assist the germs of the disease in Oh
taiuing u foothnid in his constitution.
The mortality among old people. who have
siccumbed to pneumonia within the pres
rnt year, has l'een very high. In January
out OF oiglty-siN deaths, fifty We're Of per-
sons more than to years old. In February
there were tifty-seven deaths of persons
more than 60. out 81 a total of IL. In
March there were fifty-nine out of a total
of 900. The cause of this excessively high
mortality among old people is explained on
the ground that by reason OF their impaired
constitutions they are more susceptible 10
sutidcn climatic changes and less able to
.cSist the ravages of the disease.
The list Of victims claimed by pneumonia
In the last tw0 weeks includes the names
OF some of the most prominent people n
the city. Pneumonia is no respecter of
persons. and recognizes no distinction be-
tween the wealthy. middle and poor classes
when seeking a victim. y majority OF the
deaths reported from this cause since
March i have been OF people living in the
residence section Of the city west Of JEFF
fcrsou avenue and north of Arsenal street.
ircludiii: a few -. the submerged TENTH
who died at the city Hospital. Among tt..
more prominent people Who have succrlmbsd
To the disease within the last Two weeks are
Charles =. Maihtt. David ". raruth. WI
liam Booth, Charles Hodgman, Patrick
Cornelius. Mrs. LouN. Gottlieh Schluer ard
John 4. Tatun. Doctor Hugo NJ. stark
left, father OF Health Commissioners stark
LOFT. f.; al present seriously ill with the dis
ease.
Health Commissioner Star!lioN says that
there is no s,lrer method of prevention Of
an attack of pneumonia than TO observe
strictly the common sense rules against
exposure to ~draughts.
These rules he said. "are, as a usual
thing. vigorously observed by the average
man and woman after cold weather has SET
III, but they are frequently neglected at tire
approach of winter and at It's Close the very
season when they should be most carefully
citizen feels the pleasant, warmth of the. day
ana becomes careless or neS!rcttui, ana ~
poses himsei. To the chilling night breczos.
which, are most disastrous ana deadly Il.
their effect unnn the system. ftopie
should continue TO exercise the Same pre-
CATIONS against exposure 10 So'Is .r
draughtS that they have observed all Win
ter. until the summer has set in in earnest,
even though this should entail hooiiy eis-
comfort FOR a few days or weeks.
aside from this. however, l bsiieve that
pneumonia is infectious. and that the ais.
ease can he and frequently j., disseminated
in that manner. believe the germs OF the
disease may h. communicated through the
sputufn of infected patients. and the people
should be on their guard against possible
contamination from this source.