The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-07-16
death RATE here IS HIGH
STATE MORTALITIES
Average New Havener Lives
Only 81 Years, According
to June Statistics.

In6 mortality reports LOT the month
of June have just been issued from the
office of the state board of health. The
statistics for New Haven show 1870
deaths and 272 births. There we're Is
marriages in thAcity during the month.
Figuring New Haven as having a
population of 121,216 (estimated), the
annual death rate here is shown to be
TIA per 1,O0o,-three points higher than
the average rate throughout the state.
This would tend to show that the aY-
erage New Havener lives to approx
mately the age Of 81 years. The high
est death rates in Connecticut are in
winchester and Windham, which stand
ut 2S.4 and 1928 respectively. The low
est rates are in Groton and Southing-
ton, which are rates 19 and S.9 res
pectively.
Twenty-Five of the New Haven
deaths were of infants less than a year
old, and nearly one-ffth Of the total
number of deaths were OF children less
than five years of age. In Torrington
and Ansonia, more than half the deaths
were of infants.
Most Of the New Haven deaths were
from lung and heart trouble. Twenty
two cases of consumption, T cases of
pneumonia, and 20 cases of heart dis
ease, resulted fatally. There were IL
deaths from accidents or violence, and
8 from spotted fever.
The mortality in public institutions
located in this city was 40, which SINH
lar places in Hartford reported So
deaths.
SS of the 1858 towns in the state had
no deaths thelist including North Bran
ford, North Haven ana Woodbridge. In
addition to the above the health officers
Of rs towns report that they have not
been notified of any infectious diseases.
The state report as whole shows
that there were 1,211 deaths in the
state during the month. This is 11S
less than in May and 81 less than in
June of last year and SO more than the
average number of deaths during June
for the five years proceeding.
The average death rate was 1872 for
the large towns, and 1872 for the small
towns Seven towns report larger death
rates than New Haven. The deaths re-
ported from infectious diseases were
1875, being 16.1 per cent. of the total
mortality
DR.. Townsend, secretary Of the state
board of health, appends to the statis-
tical portion of his monthly report an
extract from recent address by Sur
geon General Wyman Of the United
States public health and marine hospi-
tai service. The extract says:
1.-THE sanitary movements Of the pres
ent time are answering the question
sam I my brothers keeper and the
answer is Yes!' There is more than a
sentimental or a religious reason in
this answer; there lie a practical and
self-protecting reason why every por-
tion of the community should be inter-
ested In the sanitary welfare Of every
other portion-why the more prosperous
should interest themselves In prevent
ing the less prosperous from living un.
der hygienic conditions, in unsanitary
dwellings, or with indifference to the
natural laws of health.
There is no part of any community
which Is not affected by the sanitary
condition of every other part. The
prosperous, intelligent and ruling mem
hers, who are Indifferent to the sani-
tary welfare of the ignorant, or the
poor, or even the vicious, are thereby
endangering themselves The disease
germ is too often considered myth oil
something far away from the healthy
and prosperous. 1t Is invisible to the
naked eye, but so is the air we breathe
1t Is an entity; it has real existence
The disease germ is local climber
Its existence is not stationary. 1t goes
calling, with the old clothes and person
Of the inhabitant of the foul den, whit
surely will visit friends less degraded
and these have friends of higher de-
gree So that, slowly or rapidly as the
case may be, the germ struggles up.
ward and is carried to the top.
''This shows the necessity Of the alb
eolute elimination of the slums In every
city. There is no adequate reason why
slums should exist anywhere, and BY
slums ! mean places where, through
bad drainage, imperfect sewerage, in
adequate air space, lack Of pure watel
and lack Of sunlight, human beings arr
subject to disease and crime inducing
conditions.
1.-THE existence of slums in city /
that citys fault; not its misfortune
Our ambition should be a slumles
country, and as this means simpl,
municipal cleanliness and deceney
there can be mo good reason why /
should not be brought about, The chic
pride Of city should not be its boule
wards and handsome buildings, but tina
nowhere within its boundaries can b
found slum conditions as just described
Under more perfect sanitary environ
ments we live longer, we live better"