Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-03
PNEUMONIA SCOURGB
FOLLOWS IN THE WAKE OF EPI-
DEMIC OF INFLUENZA.
Big Increase in Deaths in New York
City-Thousand More Cases
Than in 1905.

NEW YORK, January 3.-That the pneu-
monia scourge still has New York firmly in
its grip and that 1t is thriving more than
ever in the wake of the influenza epidemic
| which recently struck the city are the grim
deductions to be made from a table of vital
statistics for the year 1906. just prepared
for Health Commissioner Darlington.
There was an increase of 1,0S4 in the
| number of deaths from the disease over the
year 1905, and experts say that there is
every indication that a new record will be
rolled up in the next three months unless
the epidemic of influenza which is just get
ting under way subsidies. The record of
1904, when the physicians of the city prac-
tcally threw up their hands, was not quite
equaled, but all other records were topped.
Speaking of the pneumonia epidemic DR..
Darlington said:
1.-The increase shown is very large,
though not large enough to bring the total
number of deaths up to the record of 1904.
That was, indeed, a black year. |The year
following there falling off and now
again we have a big increase. l attribute
it partly to the epidemic of measles which
ragged during much of the year. Many of
the measles patients fell easy victims to
the pneumonia germ.
Pneumonia is a thing that the health
department can't guard against. 1t comes
and that is all there is to it.. People must
take the best of care of themselves and
keep themselves in good condition. Then
they will be able to fight off the disease.
Pneumonia Follows Influenza.
II very much fear that the epidemic of
Influenza, which seems to have got pretty
good foothold on the town, will lead to a
still greater increase in the number of
pneumonia deaths. Abroad this seems to
have been the case, and indications are that
New York will have the same experience
Just how severe the influenza epidemic will
become no one can tell, of course, but it
seems to have made considerable Roadway
and pneumonia to have fiourished in it's
wake.
1.-The noticeable increase in the deaths
from heart disease shows Enthusiastically
that New Workers are more and more TAX
ing up with the strenuous life That is
what makes heart disease.
Physicians generally expressed gratifica-
ton learning that the spinal meningitis
epidemic had finally subsidized. There was
a falling off of lob in the number of
deaths from the disease, which Is considered
remarkable. This is due chiefly to the pre-
cautionary measures taken by DR.. Darling
ton and the thorough campaign he waged
to offset the spread of the malady. In his
efforts he received the earnest cooperation
of practically the entire medical profession
and it is to that that he attributes the sue
cess of the campaign.
That New Workers are going the pace
that kills and that the epidemic of spinal
meningitis which had the medical profession
at it's wits end two years ago is broken
are other notable deductions to be made
from the statistics: To the expert mind,
the fact that 424 more persons died of
heart disease in 1906 than in 1905, is almost
as startling as the increase in the pneumo-
MIA deaths. 1t means. physicians assert,
that New Workers are becoming more and
more addicted to dissipation.