The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-01-05

low a. in the year just clossd--s.6 In
1908 and Sc In 1S9e.
As stifsd above. 1914 was measles
year, ~ had been conhdently predicted.
We had IS deaths. or 1g.s per 100000
Inhabitants. which wis much tower
than in the two other epidcmic years
since 1905, having been s0.ss In the
epidemic ofS1so7 and 81 IN the epides
mic Of 1919.
"whooping cough also had an inning
in 1913. claiming II victims, making q
rate of 1873 per 100000. which was also
= good out for u bad year. paradox
ical as this may sound.
Leaving the group Of acute infec-
tious diseases, we come to a wonder
full encouraging set Of figures. InfAn-
tile diarrhea was the cause Of only III
dcaths. giving death rate OF only
s4.S per 100. 600 Inhabitants Mt ali ages.
say only" in connection with this
rate because IL 10 so much lower than
We have ever had before within ten
years such rate will, perhaps. be con-
sidered criminaily high. The lowest
rate ever recorded for Richmond before
1919 was 1910 per 100000 In 1912.
while in 1911 the rate was ISIS; In
1910 1t was 1891; in 1908. 1865; in
1908, 1920; In 1907. 1920. The annual
average for the Ave years 1907-191i,
Inclusive. was 1s4.s. while, to repeat.
1t was 1910 in 1912 and s4.s In 1919.
an average of s2.9 for the last two
years. -
C;ratifyinw Results.
This Is one OF the most gratifying
of NIL our results, for the following
reason: In 1910 we began our special
work for the prevention Of infant NOR
tally. We worked along lines SINH
lar to those followed in other places,
sending nurses to the homes In which
there were young infants and instruct
Ing their mothers In the care of their
babies, especially in reference to pro-
peH-feeding. Our general milk supply
being SO excellent, we did not believe
1t wise to establish milk stations. AZ
was done in the North. Working along
these lines we got fairly good results.
In the fall OF 1911, however. became
convinced that infantile diarrhea was
an infectious disease and that measures
against II should take recognition of
this fact. Starting In 1912~oun nurses
were instructed to lay special <ern-
phasis on the necessity OF disinfectina.
the discharges of all infants. 1t may
be only coincidence that the death
rate from infantile diarrheA took ouch
tumble that year and a still further
tumble in 1913 but 1t certainly appears
figures continue low. the correctness of
this theory will be proved. II so. we
will have the credit OF having been
the first to reaifze the Importance of
this measure--a measure which will
save countless lives.
The work done among the mothers
of very young babies resulted not only
In lowering the number of deaths from
infantile diarrhea but also In further
decreasing the total death rate among
infants under one year of age. There
were sos such deaths In 1919, against
SIS in 1912.
Especially gratifying is the lower
ing OF the death rate from tuberculosis,
There were 2i4-deaths from cnnsnmp.
ton in 1918, and IS deaths from other
forms Of tuberculosis giving a rate
of 162.I per 100000 from consumption
and 1903 from all forms of tubercu.
losis. This Is by far the lowest rate
ever recorded for our city, the lowest
previous figures being ls4.3 and 224.9
respective In 1908. The effect OF Pine
Camp must be considered in this con-
nection. not only In the number OF
lives which this Institution has prob
ably saved, but also because the Rich
mond people who die there are not in
cluded in our figures. as they would
be II they died in the city. I have not
yet had time to give accurate figures
in this connection"