Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-03-15
DEATH RATES FOR YEAR 1916
State Board of Health Summar.
ICES Reports Received.
Scarlet Fever. Measles and WhOoping
Cough Unusually Prevalent-I.ow
Death Rate from Typhoid Fee
yer and Diphtheria.

AT the regular monthly meeting of the
Vermont State board of health. held at
the office of the secretary. DR.. c. F.. Dali
ton, Thursday. resolutions were pre-
scented and adopted on the death of the
late Dr. Henry D. Holton. DR.. Dalton
presented to the board the Vermont death
rates for the year 1916 the compilation
of which has just been completed and
which will be printed in the next bulletin
of the board.
The bulk of the resolutions upon DR..
Holton's death follows:
DR.. Henry D. Holton. 20 years a men,
Der and u years secretary of this board.
died at his home in Brattleboro February
u. 1917.
In the death of DR.. Holton his town
and State have lost a public-spirited citi-
zen. Jealous in every good work. His
life was consecrated to the prevention as
well as the cure of disease. He was
largely instrumental in giving our State
it's public health laws. and he admins
tered those laws fearlessly tactfully and
justly. The cause of public health in our
country has lost a stout champion and a
recognized leader. His colleagues and
fellow workers in the State department of
health of Vermont have lost a wise coun-
sellor and loyal friend. We hereby record
our sorrow at his death and our high
appreciation of his useful life.
VERMONT DEATH RATES FOR 1916.
The vital statistics for the year 1916
ire now sufficiently made up to show the
number of deaths from principal causes.
including the communicable diseases.
Typhoid fever shows the lowest death
rate ever reported in Vermont. only "a
deaths occurring from this disease.
against AZ in 1915, A in 1914 and 30 in
1913. which was the lowest record at that
time. There were no epidemics of typhoid
during the year only 1865 cases being re-
ported, compared with 329 in 1915.
The epidemic of measles, which began
in the fall. brought the total cases of
the year to 1853. with Is deaths. The last
great epidemic of measles gave rise to
3,O57 cases and q deaths in 1912. and 6.71S
cases, with so deaths in 1913. Whooping
cough also shows up larger than for sew
era years. with 2,54S cases and As deaths.
In this connection. it is to be noted that
when epdemics of influenza or grip pre-
vail. deaths from respiratory diseases
such as whooping cough and tuberculosis
are likely 10 increase. The widespread
infection of grip last year resulted in
$40 deaths. Strangely enough, the curve
of pneumonia does not follow influenza
were 474 deaths from pneumonia. all
forms, compared with 4S1 in 1915. 467 in
1914 and 594 in 1913.
Diphtheria shows only q deaths out OF
44G cases reported. this being the small
est year for this disease, with the ex-
ception of 1912. when there were only Il
deaths. Scarlet fever on the other hand
has prevailed very largely throughout the
State. usually in mild form, 704 cases
being reported. but with occasionally
virulent cases. as shown by a record OF
13 deaths, this being a greater number
than for IA years, with the exception OF
1913. when there were II deaths.
AS minated above. tuberculosis of the
lungs showed a rather decided increase In
the last year. with 800 deaths. compared
with 2S the previous year. The epidemic
of grip is probably responsible for this
increase. There were So deaths from
tuberculosis of other forms.
! Vermont will probably continue to hold
its place as the State having the highest
death rate from cancer, as for the first
time since vital statistics have been col
lected, the number of deaths from cancer
has passed the 400 mark. Deaths from all
forms of cancer totalled 40S. compared
with ISL in 1915 and 3H in 1914.
The chronic diseases contributed very
to apoplexy, 100 to organic heart disease
and 1926 to Bright's disease.
The report of DR.. b. Fl. Stone. director
of the State laboratory, showed that a
total of 1,131 laboratory tests and exami-
nations had been made during the month
of February, the bulk of which follows:
| Three hundred and seventy-hve throat
cultures examined for dfphtheria bacilli
s6 specimens of blood examined for vida
rea ction, 1877 specimens of sputum for
tubercle bacciii, so of water for potability
! 80 of blood for Wasserman reaction, "a OF
milk for compliance with standards. eigh,
of food for compliance with food law
q of drugs for compliance with drug law
med ico-legal autopsy, seven autopsies
where no foul play was suspected. three
pathological examinations. 121 miscellane,
GUS examinations. 149 specimens OF mar.
cotics examined for the United States gov
eminent
| HA,U aNv MANN,