The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-06-17
HEALTH OF THE STATE.

Mortality Statistics of the Board of
 Health for May.
 The monthly bulletin of the state board of health for May shows that there were 1,264 deaths in the state dur ing the month. one town. South Wind sor, not reporting. The annual death rate per 1000 is 16.7. The number of deaths is twenty more than in April, 164 more than in May last year and 156 more than the average number of deaths in May for the five years pre- ceding. The deaths reported from in- fectious diseases including diarrhoea, were 29S. being 23.5 per cent. of the total mortality.
 The following towns are reported as having no deaths in May: Andover, ,Bea- con Falls, Bethany, Bethlehem, Bolton, Bozrah, Bridgewater, Colebrook, East ford, Franklin. Kent. Lisbon. Marlbor- ough, sMorris, Old Lyme, Prospect, Scot land, Sherman, Voluntown, Warren-2O.
 Infectious diseases were reported by health officers in the several towns as follows: Smallpox. 42: measles, 9S5; cerebro-spinal fever, 2; scarlet fever, 268; diphtheria and croup. 120; whoop- ing cough. 120: typhoid fever. 2S; con- sumption, r. Fifty-three towns re- ported that there were no infectious diseases. The health officers of the fol- lowing towns made no report, Water ford, Plymouth, Sharon, Haddam, Mid dlef1eld.
 7 Secretary Lindsley has the following to say about seasonal diseases:
 During the past five months of the present year pneumonia is remarkably conspicuous as the cause of larger mortality than any other disease. In former years consumption has exceeded all other diseases as a destroyer of life, but in recent times pneumonia is rapid 1y taking the lead. In the present year, from January to May inclusive, the deaths from these two diseases were as follows: Consumption, 570; pneumonia, S45. This changed relation of these two most fatal maladies is true not only of Connecticut, but generally in other states where vital statistics are careful ly kept. Doubtless one reason for it's prevalence is that people do not recog- nize it's infectious nature and take no precautions to prevent it's spread"
 Dir. Lindsley points out that the larg- est mortality in the next three months will fall on the innocent infants. He says: ..
 During the three months of July, Au- gust and September of last year more than 500 infants perished in Connecticut from diarrhoea, most of which were bot tle-fed babies or in other ways. the vic- times of improper feeding. The mother - who can nurse her baby. but who for selfish reasons refuses to do so, is often guilty of the horrible crime of infanti- eide. The natural nourishment of the human offspring during the first year of life is found only at the mothers breast. No addition to or substitute for this can ever be made without risk of disturbance of digestion and intestinal irritation. While this statement is al- ways true. it is most emphaitcally so during hot weather. A nursing baby (tfle mother being healthy) is immune to summer diarrhoea, if no other food is given it than that provided by nature The health of the mother is important She must be we'll nourished, not over- worked, temperate. of regular habits not exposed to excessive worry or to strong excitement. During the next three or four months any deviation whatever from rigid restriction to the breast milk will be attended with dan- ger to the young infant"