The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1902-02-08
HEALTH MATTERS.
ANNUAL REPORT OF COUNTY HEALTH
OFFICER BRATTON.
He Makes Certain Recommendation Look
ing Toward Sanitary Improvement
Interesting Exhibit of the Cau,es of
Mortality During the Year.

mortality During tne rear.
In his annual report DR. Howard Brat
ton, of Elkton. Secretary of the Cecil
County Board of Health. makes an in
teresting exhibit of the causes of mortal
ity during the year and recommends ccr-
tain hygirnic and sanitary measures that
could be adopted proftably at various
points.
His report was forwarded to the office
of the State Board of Health on Tuesday
and was in part as folowS:-
1.-The number of deaths in the county
during the year was 4O2. This is an in
crease of 81 deaths over 1900 the rate
pcrthouSand being 16.25 against 12.61.
This is due mainly to two factors: more
complete returns. due to the burial per-
nit law. which went into effect July 1St,
1900. and the epidemic of grip which pre-
vailed during the early part of the year.
The increase due to the first cause is
therefore apparent rather than real: the
second SHOWS that the grip is no tritlng
disease
An increase of . was due to it directly:
an increase of n from pneumonia which
prevailed about the same time and prob
ably due to it; during the two months of
the grip cpidelnic. and the month. April,
following, there occurred Is of the 10
deaths from heart disease. an increase of
II for the year. There was an increase
of deaths from apoplcXy. ! in April
hastcncd by the grip and / probably due
to the heat in July, in which month or-
CURED > deaths from sunStrokr against
none for the proceeding year.
Sixteen deaths in 1890 were due to ac-
cidcnt II in 1901. In each year s were
non-rcSidcnts, killed upon the railroad.
The whole increase of was among our
own citizens, too many of Which were Of
children. This does NOT include > deaths
of children from gunShot wounds.
There is an increase of but one from
tuberculosis. Cancer is the same for
each year Typhoid fever shows , less
and there is Il decrease from ~ to y for
cholGIH infantum.
Scarlet fever prevailed in epidemic
form in North East II cases. ana in Elk
ton - eases. or the l22 eases for the
two years. there are no deaths directly
or indirectly tl'accahlc to it.
The death rate for the town of Elkton.
the county seat. was 26.35 per thousand
against 1886 in 1900. This is a record
surpassed only by some of the large cities
of the tropics. The rate among the col
orcd people decreased despite the fact
| that the accidental deaths and the still
births. two each, We're charged against
them. OF the 81 deaths. 10 were of col
| orcd people who number 30 in n popula-
tion of 25i2 The rate for the white pro-
1 1 I
31.25. In 1900 It was lose and 41.!7 re-
SpCctivrly.
Suu" better system of night soil dis
poSal is urgently needed. The same
rule applies to every town in the county
Ordinances making landlords responsible
for the filth of tenants are unjust and
always did, and always will. defeat them
selves as measures protective of the pub
lie health. In Ell;ton. ~ deaths were of
children under two years and ten months
of age. This out-lIrrodS IIrrod in the
slaughter of th, inuDccnts
Port Deposit and Elkton are both well
alaItrl for sewerage system. Tn"
Topography of Port Deposit will keep
| typhoid fever there indefinitely unless
sewers are introduced or all the drinking
water is derived from sources outside the
town. There are excellent Commissions
Crs in both towns and we hope to hear
of the question being agitated during the
coming summer.
No eases of smallpox have occurred
within recent years. The compulsory
vaccination law for school children Is
well observed so far us the school au.
thoritcS are concerned. Although the
law reads 'SucccsSfully vaccinated'' there
is reason to believe that many children
are not properly protected This law
should be sclf-suficicnt. but it is not SO
The law should prohibit physicians from
giving Il certificate until after Il certain
number of days and an inspection-and
this under II penalty. If it is right to fine
the teacher, it is right to fine the physi
clan. The attention of the Legislator,
will be called to this matter.
Three hundred and iifty-siX births wcr,
reported for the year. While the rccorC
is not complete, the deaths will equal. il
not out-number, the births. In the county
seat. where the report is complete. tn,
deaths exceed the births by eleven. 1t i,
hard to get reports from uneducated mid
wives in inaccessible regions: the physi
clans, with one exception. send in com
plctc reports"