Waterbury Democrat., 1902-11-17
HEALTH OF THE STATE.

Increased Deaths in October-Annual
Death Rate of 14.9 for the State.
The monthly bulletin of the Connec-
ticut state board Of health shows that
there were 1.133 deaths in the state
last month, 33 less than in October last
year, and 81 more than the average
number of deaths in October for the
five years preceding. The death rate
was 1913 for the large towns and 1872
for the small towns and 14.9 for the
whole state. The deaths reported
from infectious diseases, including
diarrhoeal diseases, were 2S3, or %
per cent Of the total mortality. There
were 226 deaths Of children under 1
year and So between land 5 years.
The number of deaths from several
causes were: Measles, 1; scarlet fe
yer, 8; grip, 3; cerebro-spina1 fever, 5;
diphtheria and Group, 20; whooping
cough, 4; erysfpelas, 8; typhoid fever
81; malarisl fever, 10; diarrhoea, "a
consumption, Ia; pneumonia, 20:
bronchitis, 80; diseases of the nervous
system, 145;. heart disease, 1902; acct
dents and violence, 81 all other dis
eases, 444
The following towns reported hav-
Bethany, Bethlehem, Bolton, Bozrah,
Chaplin, Colebrook. Columbia. East.
ford, East CRANKY, Easton, Ellington,
Guilford, Hamden, HartIand, Killing
worth, Lisbon, Marlborough, Middle
bury, Middlefie1d New Fairfield, Pres
thon, Salem, Scotland. Sherman, Toll
land, Union. Warren, Westbrook,
Weston, Wellington, Wolcott- 80.
Il COG nf infnatio11cs 1icnac,ne,s rryo,,o -,
ported by town health officers as fol
lows: Smallpox, a; measles, So; diph-
iberia and Group, 175; scarlet fever,
220; cerebro-spinal fever, 6; whooping
cough, ~; typhoid fever, 14S; consump-
ton, Is. All the health officers of
New Haven and Tolland counties re-
ported to the state board of health.
but the health officers Of the health
officers of the following towns din not:
Hartford county, Avon, Suffield; New
London county, Waterford; Fairfield
county, Darien, Easton, New Fairfield,
NewtoWn, Sherman; Windham county,
Canterbury, T4ainfield Putnam; Itch
/ field county, Washington, Winchester;
Middlesex county, Middlefeld, Port
| land, Westbrook.
Secretary Lindsey of the board pub
fishes in the Bulletin the following re-
/ garding smallpox in Connecticut
| One of the most notable facts relat-
! ing to the health of the state during
i the past year was the widespread pre-
valence Of smallpox. Gases were re-
ported from thirty-four different towns,
| including every county in the state.
In only a few places did it assume the
character of an epidemic, although re-
garded as the most contagious of all
diseases. In two ways these out
breaks gave testimony to the protec-
tive power of vaccination. First Con-
necticut, one of the most dense1y popu-
lated states, and in very Intimate rela>
tion with the rest of the country, both
/ by land and water, was slow to enter
tain any cases of the disease long after
| it was claiming thousands Of victims
in other states. This exemption can
only be explained because so large a
proportion of the inhabitants have been
rendered immune by vaccination. Sec
ondly, the spread of the disease has
been almost wholly among those who
were never vaccinated. or so long ago
that its protective power was impaired
by time. In still another way it's value
has been verified, by the prompt arrest
! Of the spread of the disease wherever
geuerdi NaccludtlOu mas Deen prac-
ticed. There were 323 cases reported
/ during the year ending October /. Of
which only twenty-five were fatal, Civ
! ing the surprisingly low death rate of
only 6.8 per cent. In all the literature
of the disease there is no record of an
! epidemic Of so mild type. In the
! three largest cities In the state, where
| general Vaccination is observed. there
i xxzxarn only S.ixfe1r1 "a cac an 4o7d