The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-26
BIC DECREASE IN
TYPHOID DEATHS
Board Of Health Report for 1909
Shows Improvement OF
az Per Cent.
RECORD GRATIFYING
New Water Supply Expected to
Give City Still Better Con-
ditions Hereafter.
RECORD GRATIFYING

According to report issued yester-
day by the Board Of Healtn. the death
rate In Richmond from typhoid fever
iast year was AZ per cent. lower than
In any previous year. OF all the gains
made during the year that from typhoid
Is declared to be the most gratifying.
although 1t is noticeable from study
OF the mortality tables that practically
all OF the gains have been in the case
OF diseases classed as preventable.
There were only twenty-eight deaths
from typhoid fever in 1900, compared
with fifty-seven In 1903 and forty
seven in 1907. Tho lowest number of
deaths of any previous year on record
was in 1856, when there were thirty
six from typhoid, when the population
did not greatly exceed 10000.
The number of deaths from nil causes
In December was four more than in
November. 1909. and twenty more than
In December, 1908. There was grand
total Of 2,404 deaths in Richmond dur
Ing the year. decrease OF eighty.two
The number of white decedents was
LOO, decrease of sixty-two. and of
| colored 1904. decrease of twenty.
or the deaths 213 were non.resldcnts.
The bulletin says:
| Public Health Work Tells.
he mere decrease in the total mum
Der OF deaths and in the general deatI,
rate Tor the year does not, however,
| ten the whole story. A summary of
the deaths from number Of the most
| important causes compared with the
reports Tor 1908 and 1907 brings out
the important point that in such dis
eases as apoplexy, cancer, organic
heart disease, Brights disease and
Others In which public health work has
little or no effect. the number Of deaths
was as great or even greater. In the
list of acute contagious diseases there
was with very few exceptions. mark
ed and satisfactory decline.
ChiIdrcn's Diseases.
Measies caused only 1 death IN
1909, against in 1908 and IS in 1907.
RMS great decrease was due only in
part at best to the work of the Health,
Department. Measles Is naturally
disease which fluctlAtes greatly from
year to year. and after a year Of such
nigh mortality as 1907 we would nat
uraiiy nave one or two quite low years.
Scarlet fever has caused but
deaths In the past three years. of
which was in the year Just closed and
the other in 1908.
Whoop1ng cough caused IL deaths
IN 1909. against SO IL. 1908 and In
1907 This disease. like measles. with
winch II divides the honor OF being
the most fatal of the acute infectious
diseases OF childhood in our city, shows
great annual fluctuations. and the fig
ures are not greatly influenced by any
means that have yet been discovered
In controlling the disease.
!nnuenza caused 10 deaths. against
3s In 1908 and AZ In 1904 decrease
Of 20 deaths as compared with 1908
and OF 80 deaths as compared with
1907.
Apparent Increase.
Consumption caused 242 deaths in
1909. as compared with 22s in 1908
and $50 in 1907. There was thus an
apparent Increase Of is deaths from
CONSUMPTION as compared with 1908.
although decrease of 10 as compared
with 1907. 1t is believed with abso-
Lutte confidence that this increase was
only apparent AS has been stated on
many previous occasions. Justification
of death certificates when consun1n
tion was the cause of death was
very common evil in the past, and one
which has been persistent1y fought by
the health department.. This prac-
tice. of course. obtained among only
small proportion OF the physicians of
the city. but the total number OF cases
of this kind in the course OF a year
Is believed to have been great Ash
these deaths are being more and more
assigned to their true cause, this nat
urally brings about an apparent in
crease In the number of deaths from
consumption. but malaria, as we'll
as chronic bronchitis. pneumonia and
the other diseases which formerly re-
ceived these false assignments are
constantly decreasing"
Greatest Gain In Pneumonia.
The greatest Of all gains made In
1909 was in pneumonia. and other dis
eases OF the respiratory system not In