The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-20
REPrRILc SPECIAL.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
New York. Nov. Is.-To investigate and
combat the appalling scourge of penu-
rnonla and kindred acute respiratory dis
eases Is the task to which a commission
consisting Of many OF the most eminent
physicians and bacterologists OF the
try hai addressed itself.
New YORK City took the Initiative IN this
important N yvement when the Board Of
Estimate and Apporticnment last July ap-
propriated 5000 10 make such an inquiry
under tho auspices of the New York Board
OF Health. Tho investigation. however.
Will be national rather than local in its
scope and the membership OF the special
commission. as now constituted. is thor
oughly representative in character.
Doctor Herman ". Biggs. general medi-
cal officer Of the Health Department,
charatccrtizes this enterprise as the first
systematically organized effort TO solve
what IS now %regadred SIS the most i'm
portant and one OF the most difficult
problems Of sanitary science"
Scientists ard physicians have been ap-
pailed AZ tho rapid modern increase in the
death ratio from acute respiratory dis
eases. especially in the large cities. With
a more pe.fect knowledge OF tho nature
OF the bacillus OF tuberculosis ard with
the adoption OF modern methods OF saai-
tary ana pathological treatment The death
rate from consumption has been steadily
decreasing. But the number OF victims
claimed yearly by pneumonia, on the other
land. increases Steadily and alJrminsiy.
In New York City alone during the ilTst
SIX months OF this year one-tnirI the Total
DlFlA-E /. E0lLhG We're charged In nfIta
respiratory diseases and pulmonary tuber-
culosis. During that period the deaths
from these causes numbered 14,r9i. In the
corresponding period of last year they ag-
gIegated le,SyJ, or 81 peF cent OF the Ell
tire number OF deaths.
FNEUMONIA'S STEADY INCREASE.
Pneumonia alone during the first half
o. this year claimed SEQ victims. as
compared with 5,1S5 deaths for the first six
nonths OF 19Gs. The increased fatality OF
this scourge alone, therefore. in Il single
year numbered .,5Sl. or mOEe titan double
The number OF lives sacrificed in the Cen
eTal Slocum disaster
Such figures as these, not
only In New York, but in other large
cities. showing q steady yearly increase III
The prevalence and fatality OF pneumonia,
have forced the subject TO the front as
one demanding immediate STUDY by the
mos eminent experts.
In Chicago the death rate from pneuIno-
!il1- i!dS lilsEGtStC from us Per cent OIL
the total number OF deaths il 1855 to a.s
III NS: in Philadelphia from lN4 10 U.6
IL. lGs TO ~ in 1898. and In Boston from
~ per cent in 1888 to L in 1877.
For purposes OF organization the COM
mission held IT'S first meeting on October
Is last, n the Health Department build
ing. Sixth avenue and ~tIfty-tifth street,
Doctor Bigss in al Introductory address
there. said:
For some years the problem presented
by the very large and constantly increas-
ing death rate from the acute respiratory
diseases has been the cause Of serious
anxiety to the Board OF Health OF New
York City. 1t has seemed TO the medical
officers OF The department that the time
has now arrived when every possible eff
fort should be LAT to bring about an
amei!oration in existing conditions.
"succinct!y stated, tae situation IS
this: During the last twenty years the
general death rate in New York CITY has
fallen = per cent and the death rates
from all The principal causes OF death
have fallen from 10 to 10 per cent, except
ing in four groups OF diseases. in which
there has been an increase. These are,
first. the acute respiratory diseases; sec
ond. cancer; third, the diseases OF the
heart; four. the diseases Of the kidney.
The increases in thvse groups have been
from 10 TO 3 or 20 per cent, in the acute
respiratory Icing about 10 per cent. In
the present year there has been an ea-
~traordinary increase in the first half. the
deaths from the acute respiratory dis
eases forming no less than - per cent Of
tia total death rate.
BACILLI WIDELY DISTRIBUTED.
The difficulties in the problem Of pre-
yertion arise largely from the wide distri-
button OF these organisms. Streptococci
pr eumococc: and influenza bacilli are
present in almost morbid conditions in the
respiratory tract OF the inhabitant of
large cities and probably, also. TO a very
large extent IN the respiratory tract OF
healthy individuals.
'-The conditions are much Ike those ex-
sting with relation to diphtheria, except
ing that these Organisms probably live
more readily and for longer periods OF
time in the body cavities of healthy indi-
v1duals than do the diphtheria baciiI. and
the latter. perhaps. have tat least in
childrenl greater pathogerio activities.
The Board or He alth, looking Onward
TO the study o. this problem, more thar a
year ago in the revision OF the Sanitary
Code included this group OF diseases in
the class in which partly voluntary and
partly compulsory roti1ca;iOu was re-
CURED. This provision OF the Sanitary
Code has not vet been enforced. because
the department was so overwhelmed with
work during LAST winter. owing to the
extraordinary prevalence OF all the en-
ieInic infectious diseases, that il was un-
able TO take up the surveillance or the
consideration OF any new forms.
1T Is believed now that some provision
can be made for this work. Il has always
been the feeling of the medical officers OF
the board mat no really important efTec-
tive measures could be taken in relation
TO any preventable disease unless the san