The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-12-29

The following report of health
conditions in the city of Plymouth,
during the past year, was submitted
to the city council, by DIR. j. S. Mar
tin, Secretary Of the City Board of
Health at the council meeting Mon
day evening:
Board Of Health Report
To the Mayor and Aldermen of the
City of Plymouth, in Common Coun.
ell assembled:
Gentlemen:
The rules of the State Board OF
Health require the local Health of
fcers to report every month to their
respective city and town councils con.
corning the work and needs of their
Health Boards.
Being aware that this City Council
has been pressed for time in the con-
sideration of the more than usual
important matters pertaining to the
City's welfare, 1 have refrained from
i%nterrupting them with any repor,
during the whole year. Therefore, ]
beg your indulgence as / shall as
briefly as possible, review our work
for the year 1910 believing however
that there is no serious considera.
ton that is more important and vita
to the well-being of our people thai
the conservation of life and public
health that comes within the scope OF
your legal duties.
I. Vital Statistics.
Vital statistics has reference to the
collection and registration of death:
births and contagious diseases. This
is regarded as supremely important
for only on this collection can we
establish control and direct a perfect
system of public hygiene and in fact
we could never know the progress
and value of preventive efforts to sup
press disease and lengthen life with.
out it.
Deaths.
During the year there have been
81 deaths in Plymouth; males 81
females 80. The causes of these deaths
are as follows:
Organic heart disease Of various
kinds IL; Cancers 6; tuberculosis q
Scarlet fever 4; Apoplexy 2; Violence
3; Paralysis 3; Enteritis 3; Peri
%tonitis 2; Commissions 2; Pneumonia
2; Inertia 2; Cerebral Hyporemia 2;
Typhoid Fever 2; Cholera Infantrm
2; inflammation Of Stomach 2; Still
Porn 3; Acute Bronchores /; Chronic
Bronchitis L; Asyhyxis !; Difficult
Dentition /; Uremia L; Alec Colitis
/; hamilton /; Epilepsy i; Chronic
Rheumatism !; Total 81.
Place of Burial.
Oak Hill Cemetery, 81; Stringei
Cemetery, 3; st. Michael's z; Fair
mount 2; Dunkard Cemetery, 2; Mt
Pleasant Cemetery i; Tyner l; Bour-
hon, /; Jaeoby /; Union, West TIP
1; Bailey Cemetery /; Bremen l;
McElrath /; taken out of the county
for interment 8; total 81.
Deaths in Groups of Ages
Under j to 5 years 10; from 5 to
10 2; 10 to 20 i: 20 to 80 8; 80 to &C
8: 40 to so 8; so to 60 9; 20 to SO
16; so to 80 3. Total 81. Those un-
der 5 and over 20 are "a over one
half the total number.
Births.
Males 40; females AZ; total births
81.
Births for the year 1910 81
Deaths for the year 1910 81
Excess of births over deaths 20
Contagious Diseases
Small pox occurring in the month
Of June 3 eases, all in one family.
Scarlet fever, occurring in the
months of April, June and Septem-
Der, eight eases in six familiers in
which there were four deaths.
Diptheria 2 cases; Typhoid Fever
4 cases, and with two deaths.
Measels z eases.
The matter of giving strict atten-
tion to contagious diseases is made
apparent from one fact alone in this
report, viz: there have been fom
deaths out of eight cases OF scarlet
fever. For various reasons this is
the most important service of the
Health Board The law requires
prompt action on the part Of attend
ing physicians in reporting these
cases, and a pronpt response on the
part of the Health Officer. All par
ties concerned must be as ready to
act as fireman to a cry Of fire. A
rigid quarantine is demanded as long
as there is a possibility of contagion.
The afflicted family thus shut in
very naturally grow weary, impati-
ent and oft times quite irritable over
the delay in raising the quarantine.
The attending physician always will
ing to heed the complaint of his
patron sometimes recommended a re,
lease, contrary TO the judgment OF
the Health Officer, which greatly in
creases the latters difficulty. The
Health Officer is charged with the
responsibility of standing finn in his
deliberate decision considering both
his relations TO the afflicted family
and the welfare Of the public and
sometimes he becomes a victim to in
fections from either or both parties
An appeal is sometimes made to the
Mayor of the City, whose kindly sug.
gestion and advice is of course al
ways needed and respected. This year
the Health Board have been firm and
vigilant in their purpose to have as
few of those coriopo ooptao;ouc diS.