The Penn's Grove record., 1916-01-21

Ihe following taken from the health
records and vital statistics of Penns
Grove Borough for the year 1915, shows
an extraordinary record under the wal
conditions which prevailed. The resi-
dent population was about 5000 and the
Doarders and floating population was
pfObaDly QUO more, all living under
congested quarters and with sanitary con-
ditlons considered undesirable and dan
gerous.
The deaths less than one year of age
were II; 1 to . years, 3; 3 to 10 years,
l; 20 to 30 years, Z; 30 to 40 years, 4;
~ to % years, 8; 80 to 90 years, 8; 60
to 10 years, 8; 10 to 80 years, s; 80 to
80 years, D; over 80 years, 2; unknown
ages, 4; total 76.
CAUSES. OF DEATH
The causes Of death were as follows:
Heart disease, 6; commissions, 1: dia-
betes, L; asphyxiated, 4; pneumonia, Is;
tuberculosis, 3; ureamia, 1; paralysis,
2; Brights disease, 8; blood on brain,
/; old age, 1; apoplexy, 4; general de-
bility, 2; drowning, 2; dysentery, 1;
colera infantum, 2; gastritis, 2; broken
neck, /; general debility, Z; cancer, 1;
hardened arteries, L; acute intestinal au-
totoxication, L; congenital syphilis, 2;
mitral reorganization, L; accident, 2; at
birth, 2; diphtheria, /; influenza, 2;
dropsy, L; typhoid pneumonia, 1.
CONTAGIOUS DISEASES
Chicken pox 6; typhoid fever, z;
diphtheria, A; measles, 5; tuberculosis,
L; scarletina, 10.
One person died with tuberculosis and
one with typhoid pneumonia. Two cases
of typhoid fever developed in April in
the homes of old residents where cor
poration water was used. Three mild
cases developed along the river shore
during the summer among new Corners.
Another mild case developed in Septem-
Der after the young woman had been in
oculated with typhoid antitoxin. She
was not seriously i'll. Another develop
ed in November. NN n 6N9A&A
In August the Borough and State
Board of Health became alarmed. A
circular was issued r~eciting how the
death rate from typhoid was reduced
from LOG in 1910 to 26 in 1912, in Jack
s~onville, Fla, in a population of 100
600, by rendering privies fy-proof. 1t
was proclaimed "Penns Grove at the
present time is in danger of an epidemic
of typhoid fever. .One of the ways to
prevent this is to4eliminate the fly"
Another way was to condemn well
water and require corporation water to
be taken at a greater expense than form
erly. Yet the homes where three worst
cases of typhoid were did not use well
water, but corporation water.
During 1915, typhoid fever caused 195
deaths in Wilmington with a population
of about 100000. Counting Penns
Grove population 800 here should have
been1.3 deaths from typhoid in COMPARE
son with Jacksonville and 8 deaths in
comparison with Wilmington, Del.
Counting the population 10000 there
should have been 90 and Is deaths.
In Upper Penns Neck Township where
5000 persons live and probably 10000
different persons have worked in the pow
der mills, only two cases of typhoid few
er were reported and no deaths.
With all the alleged bad sanitation
the residents and powder workers have
been and are now enjoying extraordin-
airy good health. There is no necessity
of creating any microbe alarms.
1t will be toticed that the following
deaths during 1915 of persons over 60
years of age are old residents.
OLD AGE DEATHS