Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-07-10
ONLY THREE CASES
OF CONTAGIOUS DISEASE
Health officer DR. Van Wrinkle Reports
A Births and % Deaths-Health In
County Is Generally Excellent.

When DR.. j. o. VanWinkle, for the
past three years Marion county health
officer, gave out this afternoon that
there were only three cases of CON
tagiOus diseases in the county during
the month of June, one each of measles,
erysipilas, and mumpS, that there were
"a females born as against 90 males,
thatthere We're l6 deaths of males and
9 deaths of females, he made his last
report as county health officer The
reason is that his term of office ex-
pires and he has returned DR.. B. 0.
Miles, city helth officer, has been ap-
pointed by the Marion county court to
fill the position.
During the lncumpency of DR.. Van
Winkle there have been numerous i'm
provements in the health office that
has had great deal to do with the
sanitation of the city and county. 1t
was through the efforts of DR.. Van
Wrinkle that the slaughter houses in
the county outside of the city limits
were renovated and compelled to be
more sanitary. That crusade against
filthy meats and unclean methods of
killing and dressing animals for the
markets here was brought on by let
ter of complaint written by resident
of the county to the state health office
at Portland and by DR.. Calvin White
referred to DR.. Van Wrinkle as county
health officer. On account of this
action, the city health officer took the
matter up with the city markets, which
resulted in the slaughter houses within
the city limits being cleaned up also.
In both instances arrests and prose
cutiOns were made with the result that
the people of Salem have received more
wholesome meats than before.
Must Report Births.
DR.. Van Wrinkle has made more Wig
orous efforts to obtain more complete
statistical reports from the physicians
throughout the county than hereto
fore Negligent doctors who refused
to report births coming under their care
were prosecuted and fined and made to
obey the law. During the term of DR..
Van Wrinkle the state health board has
ruled that deaths occurring at the state
institutions are not to be counted
against Marion county but against the
county from which the patient was
committed, which has caused a large de-
crease in the death rate of Marion
county. Recently the state board of
health has called for better statistics
regarding tuberculosis and cancer. The
board has ruled that every house in
which patient dies of tuberculosis or
cancer shall be re-papered, re-kalso-
mined, or re-painted as the case may
be and that card will be posted on
the house notifying the public that
such renovation has been done before
it is allowed to be occupied.
To Report On Cancers.
Concerning cancer record cards have
been sent to the county health officers
to be distributed to the doctors
throughout the county requiring that
reports of be sent direct to the state
office as soon as possiOie after the
disease has been detected. This is one
of the most recent rulings. The cancer
report is sent in on white card and
the tuberculosis report on yellow
card.
Contagious diseases in Marion county
during June were exceptionally few
In fact they were the fewest for many
months. The total number of birth.
was A and the deaths 25, which shows
that the birth rate is nearly double the
/ death rate. There were Al marriages
{ recorded.