Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-24
Report Covers the Work Of
Two Biennial Periods.
Has Been No Unusual Presence
of Infectious Diseases.
Many Pages Devoted TO Analysis Of
Public Water Supplies.

| The State Board of Health Monday
lmade public its 18th report covering
| the two biennial periods 1906 1909.
| During the first two years of this Pc
| Rod epidemic work Kept the secretary,
DR. A G. Young of Augusta. from the
1 office and much needed work so that
much of the time it was impossible
to do anything in the preparation OF
a report The secretary was there
| fore authorized to combine the report
| in one volume which he has done.
It's 3S1 pages are taken up with de-
tails regarding tuberculosis. typhoid
fever and other epidemics. CORES
lpondence with physicians and local
boards Of health concerning questions
of public health. and also include the
lreport of the director of the State lab
oratory of hygiene, II. d. Evans Of
Camden which consists largely of in
formation regarding the public water
supplies of the State.
| The report states that within the
period of four years embraced by il
there was no unusual prevalence of
INFECTIOUS diseases with the exception
that in the gradual decline OF the
smallpox epidemic with which this
| State, in common with other states
and the Canadian provinces had to
deal. it was necessary for the State
board of health to take part at
frequent intervals in guarding against
| the encroachments of this disease
| iron outside and to prevent its
| spread within our borders. AS an aid
| in determining our progress in con-
| trolling epidemic diseases it stated
that during the period of 1926 the
average death rate per 10000 of our
| population from tuberculosis. typhoid
| fever, diphtheria, scarlet fever.
|measles, and whooping cough was 29S
percent. while for the five years end
ing in 1909 the average infectious dis
ease death rate has been 15.5. dimin-
ution of almost one half in the death
rate from these diseases.
The report calls attention to the
notable lesson of the tuberculosis
| death rate since the system of record
| ing and tabulating the causes of death
| Went into effect. In 1909 the death
rate from tuberculosis was only Sc
percent of what it was in 1892, which
| means that if we now had the same
death rate which prevailed in 1892. the
number of our people who are dying
of tuberculosis would be more than
500 larger every year than il actually
| is
| 1T is a notorious fact that the in
FAINT mortality throughout the country
generally, in Maine as well as else
where. is much higher than it should
be, remarks the report. In the five
years l905-1906 the average annual
| number of hirtbS vac ~ IO,,.;ra
the same time the average number of
deaths of children under one year of
age was 1853. This means that OF the
children born in the State. one-ninth
OF them die before they have reached
the age of Il months. In the year
1909 the death rate of infants under
one year of age. based upon the nam
Der of births in the State that wear
was 105 for the cities that special
death rate was -. and in the State.
exclusive Of the cities it was %. In
4 the various cities there was a marked
| dlfference in the infantfle mortality
lrate.
In discussing the question al milk
supplies in their relation tn typhoid
fever the report says that a high in
lfantile death rate in any State or
lcitN is not. by any means. chargeable
wholly to the short comingS Of the
IdalfNmen, There is need enough of
obstruction Of the mothers themselves
| in the proper care of the milk after il
is RECEIVED within their homes In it's
work OF supervislug the milk supplies
lot the State the department of agri-
couture has hads4the help of the lab
oratory of hygiene, which is under the
care OF the State board of health, in
making chemical and meteorological
Determinations. The board regrets that
provisions could not have been made,
Tor We're not made for housing the
LABORATORY in the State House. as the
tories of most other states are
provided Tor. particularly where re-
lcent additions or demonstrations of
lcapitols have been made.
In compliance with a law passed by
the last Legislature the State board of
health has co-operated with the State
educational department in the eXami-
nation of plans which have been sub
united for the construction of new
lschool houses. The submission of plans
lhas shown with considerable freouen-
Icy arrangement for seating. lighting
land ventilation which were far from
what they should be and such plans
indicate that many architects within
the State and outside of the State. who
had prepared the plans had failed to
make such a study of the special re-
lquirements of buildings of this kind
las they should make before undertake
ing to undertake plans for school
house buildings On the other hand
'some of the plans that have been sub
mitted have been very excellent and
have been approved without hesita-
ltion
Fully IFS pages Of the report are
taken up with the work OF the labora-
tory of hygiene as presented by the
director H. G. Evans. Director