The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-25
TYPHOID REPORT UNFAIR,
SAYS HEAL RI DEPARTMENT
Virginia Has Best Official Record OF
Any State of Similar
Climate.
oMpARIsONs ARE INACCURATE
Washington Report Sought TO Con-
trast States Where Only Deaths
Arc Reported With Those in Which
Every Case Is Recorded.

Officers OF the state Board of Health
necipre mat recent report sent out
from Washington, seemingly based
upon government statistics In which it
WAS represented that typhoid is more
prevalent In Virginia than in any
other state, Is unwarranted by facts.
The state health officials are more
amused. however, than indignant. An
cases is kept by them. /, shows Viz
ginia Tar in advance Of all other
| typhoid
AS well s health officers can run the
report 10 earth, 1T seems to have had
Us oriein IN recent bulletin OF tho
which were published the recent ig-
ur"s for typhoid fever in some twenty
hlhc states. Nirginia's report was, AS
usual, full and accurate. covering every
case mat mad been reported by ply
slcihns and health officers To the
state, hut the very fullncss Of the re-
port was used against Virginia. ilhc
lSures of twcnty-uine States. most of
! them In the North. We're published in
wa papers as the figures for
Inc entire United. States.
HEALTH BOARD ISSUES
COMPLETE: EXPLANATION
The State BOARD OF Health yesterday
ISSUED the following statement on the
,''1he statement is moi only ,ithout
adequate foundation. but almost Ger
tainiN untrue. and does the state a
, 'stA 'ilII't &c mere are only isH
States IN the Union which collect sta
tistics OF the cases of typhoid fever
occurring within their limits which are
Of amy value. Only twenty-ninc OF the
forty eight States make any report
whatever 10 the Federal Public Health
Service and only four of the twenty
HpprGNimntelS complete. These four
Mary land, Utah Nevada and Virginia
have. of course. the highest reported
number OF cases in proportion to the
population since their reports are most
complete, but there is no evidence
whatevei that they actually have more
Uphold than the other states OF the
Union. IN fact, from the deaths which
are accurately reported from these
states. II would seem that they have
even less typhoid than other states, ii
would seem that they have even less
typhoid than other states with similar
climatic conditions.
INSTEAD OF BEING WORST.
VIRGINIA LEADS ~ THIS CLIMATE:
Instead OF having the worst typhoid
rate in the Union. Virginia has perhaps
the best rate of any state OF like
are accurate statistics Of births and
deaths kept-in Virginia and In Ken
lucky. Nirginia's typhoid rate is be-
low that OF Kentucky. and our general
death rate for 1913, as reported by the
Census Bureau, is below that OF the
United states registration area. which
includes those communities in which
health work has reached its highes,
level. our reports OF deaths are com
Tiett. Nlllle llbSt oil otnFr southern
states with the exception OF Kentucky,
do not include even Il reasonable per
ccntase of the deaths occurring In rural
districts. Comparison is. IN conse-
qucncc. unfair to Virginia.
NUMBER or ACTUAL. CASES
REDUCED 1000 IN FIVE YEARS
This does not mean that the board
is satisfied with our present typhoid
rate The number OF cases occurring in
the state has been reduced by about
1000 per annum in the last five years.
but further public cooperation and the
application of "a few simple principles
Will enable the state still further 70
lower the rate. and in time completely
to eradicate II. Not the least important
part Of our work has been collecting of
accurate information as to Just how
much typhoid fever there is in the state
and where the cases occur. Without
this information no effective work Of
prevention can be accomplished The
State Board OF Health wants informa-
ton regarding typhoid outbreaks at the
earliest possible moment after their
appearance. and urges every citizen to
aid in this work by reporting without
delay any cases which occur in his
uciShborhood.'