New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-20
5000 LIVES SAVED TO
THE STATE LAST YEAR
Death Rate of 14.6 a Thousand
Lowest Ever Known, Says
Health Commissioner.
VIOLENCE KILLED $500
Homicides Numbered 1, 445 and
1880 Were Suicides-Oppo-
sition to Vaccination Called
Cause of Smallpox Spread.


Albany, Jan. 19-New York States death
rate for lsl2-li6 a 1000 population-was
the lowest ever known in the state. A.
cordng 10 statistics for 1911, these hg-
ures indicate a saving Of more than hVe
thousand lives. The rate for 1908 was
1853; for 1904 il was s. The highest
mortality was i'm the maritime district
and the lowest In the Southern Tier. In
submitting this Information to the Leg
islature State Commissioned Of Health
Porter says:
Public health is purchasabIe com
modify. The magnificent achievements
of Colonel GoTgaS in the Canal Zone can
be duplicated in every hamlet IN Ne"
York State whenever the people OF the
community make up their minds TO have
II so. The public health OF the state IS
the aggregate of the public health "I
it's cities. villages and towns. many 81
which make very small approprlat o1S
for health work We owe debt Of
gratitude TO the health officers through
out the state for their self-sdCrlhclhS
Ii bors for which they are poorly COM
pcnSdted.
Contributing factors TO the prevailing
good health of the people Of the state
Commissioner Porter says i'm his report
include the successful operation OF the
cold storage law and the laws governing
the pollution Of streams the enlarge
ment OF the work of the state la0ora-
tory. the courses Of instruction FOR
health officers. an active campaign
against tuberculosis conducted by the
state Charities Aid Association. educa-
tonal compalgns against preventaole
and contagious diseases. sanitary lnst-
tutcs held in various parts of the state
and a course Of lectures on sanitary SCI
ence and public health carried on with
the cooperation Of Cornell University
No serious opidcmics of the more COM
mon diseases have occurred during the
year. says the report The mild charac-
ter OF tho disease" and the opposition 10
vaccination" are cited as causes for small
box "persisting through the state In
fantile paralysis has been prevalent IN
Buffalo and adjoining territory. the
number OF cases OF scarlet fever has been
reduced and those reported have been
mild. Measles was very prevalent but
eases of diphtheria have shown de-
crease Two notable outbreaks OF
typhoid fever. forty-ninc cases OF tetanus
and one outbreak Of trachoma have been
reported The department has recommend
ed the quarantine and isolation OF all
cases ~ pneumonia.
In summarizing the vital statistics Com
missioner Porter says that prior 10 1889
tho death rate Was never less than 10
per thousand population. During l'iZ
tuberculosis caused 1880 deaths. a de-
crease over previous years the urban
mortality from this disease being ld ana
the rural ile per 10000 population. In
nucnza as tho immediate cause of death
decreased almost onc-half during the
year. and the number of cases OF diph-
liberia was the smallest Of any year on
record Typhoid foyer caused lbs deaths
scarlet fever $40. measles l."0 and small
rox 3-two IN New York city and one IN
Delaware County.
There were 900 deaths from violence
Sgo from suicide and lii5 homcides
making one death per 10000 population
due To accidents and violence. OF unusual
causes OF death there were from leprosy
from pcllagra, ? from anthrax, from
rabies. from CHAMBERS. 100 from tctanus
and 30 from infantile paralysis. The
death rate from cancer was reported as
still on the increase.
Recommendations are made for a rc-
vision Of the public health law as affect
lng the State Department OF Health ana
the local boards OF health, for increasing
the educational work of the department,
for additional amendments To the cola
storage law and for the extension OF
some form Of sanitary projection OF
watersheds