The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-03-30
HEALTH OFFICIAL not LAX
IN ATTENTION TO DUTIES
Bulletin of Vital Statistics Gives
Reasons for Increase OF
Disease.
MANY CAUSES ARE ASSIGNED


Free Press OF March 8. in an editorial
calls attention 10 the remarkable m
crease in almost every disease classed
. as dangerous communicative and
states that IL might be reassuring II
the state Board of Health could de-
clare that goodly proportion of the
increase could be ascribed To an in
creasing attention by the physicians to
the law which requires reports of such
diseases.
Inasmuch as this apparent increase
. Is also shown by the February report
. some of the causes for this increase
{ are hereby given, says the Bulletin Of
Vital Statistics.
In the bulletin for December. 1903,
attention was called TO the fact that
there had been a marked increase in
he number of cases OF tuberculosis
reported by physicians to the local
health officials, and also a marked in
crease Of reports by local health Off
cials to this department, siEce the new
tuberculosis law, which took effect Sep
TENDER l, 1909, had been in operation.
Undoubtedly this law, together with
another new law, which went into eff
feet June l. 1899, authorizing the State
Board OF Health TO declare what dis
eases are dangerous communicable d.
seases, and requiring health officers
and local boards of health to carry out
the rules prescribed by this depart
ment, has had considerable influence
in the better reporting of the dangerous
communicable diseases.
Other causes may also. and appar-
emily do, have their influence for this
apparent increase. The comparison of
one year with another single year is
not fair comparison for the reason
one year may be below the average
and the other year above the average.
In comparing January, 1903, with the
average January for a series of years,
as shown in the January bulletin OF
1908, II may be seen that, with the eX-
ception of tuberculosis. all of the dis
eases in January, 1909, are below the
average. and some OF them very much
below. With the exception Of tubercu-
losis and scarlet fever. January, 1910,
is also below the average January for
series OF years.
Certain climatic conditions, such as
low temperature. Is now known to have
an influence onsall diseases of the res
piratory organs, and as the average
temperature for December, 1909. was
considerably below the average for
December. during a long series of
years, an increase i'm the diseases af-
fected by such conditions was expected
for January, as the maximum preva-
lence of the cold weather disease usu-
ally occurs about one month later than
the coolest month.
The winter months of 19OS-1909 be-
> ing warmer than the average, and the
winter months of 19O9-191O being cold
j err than the average. undoubtedly ac-
counts for much of the increase in the
4 dangerous communicable diseases dur
!, ing January and February Of the pres
ent year, over the corresponding
months Of 1909.
= Again, certain Of the dangerous COM
B municable diseases at times assume
an epidemic form and are much harder
= 10 control than at other times and
& this seems to be the case with scarlet
< fever during the past few months, and
Z especially is this true in the larger cen
q ters OF population.
n other conditions may enter into the
Z cause for the apparent increase in this
: dangerous communicable diseases but
= this department believes that the ones
Y enumerated above are the main cause!
& and that il is not due to any laxity up
q on the part of the health officials