Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-09-16
HEALTH OF THE STATE.
Dtath Rate of IFS Per 1000 for Au-
 gust-I Increase of Typhoid.


 The monthly bulletin of the state board of health shows 1895 deaths in the month of August a death rate of 19.0 for the large towns, 14.3 for the small towns and 17.8 for the entire state This is nineteen less than in Judy, fifty-seven more, than in August last year, and twenty-one less than the average number of deaths in that month for the preceding five years. There were 496 deaths from infectious diseases, including diarrhoeal, 35.5 per cent of the total mortality Three towns, Bethany, North Canaan and Woodbridge, made no report for Au- gust, with combined population of SITS.
 The causes of death in the 165 towns which reported were: Smallpox, l; measles. 5; scarlet fever, 4; cerebro- spinal fever, 5; diphtheria and croup. B; whooping cough, 29; erysipelas, +; typhoid fever 28; malarial fever, q; diarrhoea, 290: consumption, 113; pneumonia, 51; bronchitis, 23; diseases of the nervous system. 166; heart dis ease, 79; accidents and violence. 73;11 all other diseases, 5o7. #
 The following towns are reported as having no deaths in August: Aibdover, Ashford, Avon, Barkhamsted, Beth lehem, Bloomfield, Bolton, Bridgewa- ter, Broo1ield, Chaplin, Colebrook, Durham, Eastford, East Granby, Kent, lKillingworth, Lyme, Marlborough, Middlebury, Monroe, North Branford, Old Lyme, Pomfret, Salem, Scotland, Sherman, South Windsor, Holland, Un- ion. Warren Westbrook-32
 Infectious diseases were reported by. town health officers as follows: Small pox 6 cases in two towns: measles, 80 in nineteen town; scarlet fever, TOT in thirty-two towns: cerebro spinal fever, one case; diphtheria and croup, S9 in twenty seven towns; whooping cough, 43, including "severaP' in Windsor Locks, in fifteen towns: typhoid fever, ITO in forty-one towns; consumption, 15 in nine towns. Town health off, cers of S9 towns, Or over one-half of the state. report that they have not been notified of any cases of infectious disease. The health officers of SorEth- ington, Oxford. Canterbury, -Haddam, Essex and Middlefield made no report for last month
 The secretary of the state board of ucdllH LS IldIh6tl 1CSSelillS cI measles, scarlet fever and diphtheria. which he attributes to the closing of the schools. There has been decided increase in typhoid fever. 150 cases reported as against an average of 150 in August for the previous five years. The secretary has this to say about medical inspection of schools:
 The public schools of Connecticut ,Sv1rr @1rs n, may well be urged that there is no other one line of endeavor in sanitary administration which is capable of producing more positive improvement in the general health of the public than the systematic medical inspection of public schools.
 Wherever this duty has been un- dertaken. chiefly in cities the reports of what has been found are a revela- ton and a surprise. Tn every school of average numbers where the inspec- tons have been made. numerous cases of measles. scarlet fever, diph- theria, humps. chicken pox. con- tagious affections of the, eyes and skin diseases have been found. This seems to be a condition not at all unusual. Tn every city where such inquiry has been made the same facts are devol- oped. Conta gious diseases of various kinds are found to be continuously present.
 T5e laws of Connecticut are imneri- ous in compelling attendance at school during the school age. The laws of nature are more imperious and in faI1ibIn than the laws of man. It is one of the laws of nature that q school child staying in the same school room with another who has a conta gious disease and then must ac- cept it's fate to endure it until recov- cry or fatal termination. If our law makers compel our children to take such exposures. it is surely their duty to take every known means to reduce to the minimum the risk to health and life.
 It has been demonstrated that in all our well filed public schools danger ous erptagious diseases are continu- ally present It has long been ob- served that epidemic diseases are more prevalent during the school ses sions than in the vacation periods.