Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-02-13

that 20 deaths resulted from measles;
IS from grip; from diphtheria and
4 from whooping cough.
Statistics show that there was a de-
crease of 25 per cent. in the death
rate for babies under one month of
age, a convincing argument, DR..
Raunick claimed, for educating moth
ers in the proper care OF children just
after birth.
Overcrowded conditions in the
Seventh ward were blamed for the fact
that that section leads all others in
death rate with no prospects of i'm
proving the record unless housing
conditions are bettered.
Public funds could nowhere be
expended to better advantage for city,
State or national conservation" DIR.
Raunick declared, than for the care
of the eXpectant and recent mother.
This needless child sacrifice is not the
result of lack of parental interest, but
rather absolute ignorance and mis-
conception as to the needs and man
agement required during early child
life.
ITO overcome this condition re-
quires carefully guided instructions III
the home and which we submit ac-
cordinS to our statistics is not as
necessary in the homes of the colored
and foreignborn, as it is in many of
I'VE must also consider in this con-
nection, although not included in our
death and birth rates, the educational
possibilities presented in endeavoring
to materially reduce the number of
stillbirths annually recorded"
Extensive Epidemics
Extensive epidemics of grip, measles
and typhoid were responsible for the
large number of contagious diseases
reported, it was explained, measles
taking the lead with q total of $3.50.
DR.. Raunick raped the old idea
that all children must get the catchy
diseases sometime anyway" the health
officer declared it will take years of
education to convince the public to
the contrary and that the best time
to be sick is never, and that a mans
a man even If he did not have measles
and all other diseases common to
early life, when he was baby
''No wonder when grip is evidently
considered a necessary adjunct to the
fashions of the day and either care
lessly treated or entirely disregarded
by the laity, that 13 lives were need
lessly sacrificed to this cause, when
proper medical care could have saved
at least half of these lives.
with 21 child lives needlessly
sacrificed as the result of the COM
plications from measles during the
year we have another demonstration
of how lightly human life is regarded
by those responsible for the health
and welfare of helpless child life
The Rubbish Problem
Statistics included in the report
show that during the year 35,975
loads of ashes; 5,47S loads of garbage
and 315 dead animals were removed
from the city.
Seventy-five prosecutions were
brought; fines totaling 1882 placed on
21 defendants, and the costs were i'm
posed on 70. Mortality records show
that the percentages for death causes
were as follows: Organic heart dis
ease, 1856; nephritis, 9.05; pneu-
monia, S.5; tuberculosis, TO; cerebral
hemorrhage, 60; violence. 5.5; can
Ger, sc; typhoid fever, AS and diph-
iberia, %.
In the food inspection division 733
licenses were granted during the year,
netting the city $3,144, the largest
amount ever turned into the treasury
by the food department. New licenses
were granted to 80 retail milk deal
ers; 54 retail fresh meat dealers; 26
ice cream dealers; IL bakery; 19 fish
and oyster dealers, and II restaurants,
making total of 157 new licenses.
Inspections in markets follow: Kel-
ker street, 11,721; Allison Hill, 21,112;
street, 45,723. During the year 1,640
other inspections We're made in other
parts of the city and surrounding
territory.
Tests were made of GAG samples of
milk and cream; 166 samples of ice
cream and cream used in manufactur-
ing ice cream. Forty-eight prosecu-
tions were brought and fines total
ing $64 were imposed.