The Bismarck tribune., 1925-06-15
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDE
BURLEIGHa COUNTY, NORTH
DAKOTA, BOARD OF HEALTH.
A PECULIAR SITUATION

Burleigh county covers an are;
of 1861 square, miles, and has popu
lation OC. S. Census, 1920 of 1858
Excluding the city of Bismarck, TIL,
rural population is s,456. 1t is pe,
culiarly situated in regard to medi
cal facilities; although having
physician to each 600 of population
compared to ! physician to eaci
1900 of population in the state al
large, there is not physician In
the county outside the city of Bis
marck. This makes it difficult a,
times to get prompt medical atten.
ton and results in failure to call
physicians in mild cases of conta-
gious disease, so that such diseases
often spread rapidly. Physicians in
adjoining counties attend many OF
the sick in our county, but, even
with that help, there are families
thirty or more miles from the near
est physician
Health Boards
The County Board Of Health is
composed Of the States Attorney,
President: the County superintend-
ent of Schools, Vice President;
and a physician. Superintendent
and Executive Officer. The law
also provides that: The Supervis-
ors of each township and the
trustees of each incorporated viii
SIidI DUAL VI
Health and within their respective
townships or villages shall have and
exercise, under the supervisory con-
troll of the County superintendent
of Public Health, all the powers
necessary for the preservation Of
public health.
The township local boar,l OF
health system works fairly we'll in
practise and 1t would save time II
persons would consult with these
officials before calling the County
Board Of Health. The members are
usually diligent in inquiring into
conditions affecting the Public
health and. when necessary, can
telephone to the County Health Of
ficer. for instructions. When no
physician Is in attendance, the local
health board can employ one to
make a diagnosis in cases of sns
pected contagious disease. The
local board attends to the posting of
quarantine signs. to notify persons
disease exists.
1t is the duty Of health officials
to supervise the matters relating TO
the preservation of life and health
Of the people. To do this the pre-
vention Of disease is Of the utmost
and is the keynote to
public health work. That
easily attainable at a moderate cost
is shown by the experience of rural
Burleigh County, where the death
rate, AZ, annually, per 1000 pODula-
ton, is much lower than cities with
smaller population but much more
money appropriated for the public
health work. The rate is also low
ar than the average death rate, not
only in North Dakota, but in the
United States.
The annual appropriation for the
board of health is five hun
lred &50O dollars, equal to about
six tenths of cent per capita The
board has endeavored to get maxi
mum protection to the public health
1t a minimum expenditure and has
'efused to be led into visionary and
schemes-costly hut
lot beneficial
Vital Statistics
The hgures showing the number
If births and deaths in the .ifferent
ownships have been furnished l.y
he State Registrar and are of much
Importance to the people of the
hat all births and deaths have been
to the local registrars, ana
~ these officials to the state regis
rar. The village Of Regan reports
even deaths but no births i'm the
ear. ana nVe townships have had
leither births nor deaths. E.klund
township takes the lead from a
lealth view. 1t reports eight
'irths to one death. Table l, should
'e carefully examined by the resi-
!ents of each township and, If the
lgures do not agree with the actual
number of births and deaths, par
nts and relatives should see that
orrect records are made. Birth and
leath certificates are often essential
egal documents in establishing
rights.
The total number of deaths in
'urleigh County in 1924, was 242;
giving a death rate of 15.5 per 1000
population annually. The number
II deaths in the rural part of the
ounty was 36; giving death rate
Il AZ per 1000, annually.
If all deaths have been registered,
8 the law requires, this is a very
oW' death rate even for a farming
ommunity.