The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-01-06

In report recently made public by the United States public health service, Surgeon General II. $. Cum ming points out that for the past fiscal year health conditions throughout the United States were generally good. with the exception of | certain diseases. The prevalence of influenza and pneumonia was com
 paratively low during the year, and there were comparatively few deaths
 from these conditions.
 Yellow fevor did not appear in the United States or it's possessions dur ing the year. Gratifying progress has 1 been made in the control Of this dis ease, which has not appeared in epidemic form in the United states since 1905, but the presence of vel low fever in Brazil and Colombia | in South America during the year showed that it's introduction into the United States is possible. and the mosquito which spreads the disease Is known to abound in certain areas in this country.
 Plague infected rodents were found in the State of California, but no human cases were found in the United States or it's possessions. Cases are likely to occur, however. as long as the infection exists in rodents. Plague was reported Tn many of the ports with which the United states has commerce. It was present during the year in all the grand divisions of the world. with the exception of Australia.
 Preliminary figures show de- crease in both the birth and death rate as compared with the preced- ing year. This is a continuation of the trend which has been noted in ( l.o .t,,tt t,tt., 1I countries for several decades.
 In 1928 there was an increase in the incidence of malaria. This dis ease has been disappearing from many parts of the United States where it was once prevalent. For 1929 the reports from 45 states showed slight decrease in malaria deaths from the high figures of 1928, but in some of the southern states where malaria is a serious problem. the reports of cases and deaths show increased prevalence 1929 as compared with 1928.
 The case and death rates for diphtheria have been decreasing for many years, and in the calendar year 1929 these rates reached new low records. Forty-five states reported TIA cases of diphtheria and 6.6 deaths per 100000 population. Ten years ago in 1919, 37 states reported 137 cases of diphtheria per 100000 population, and the diphtheria death rate in 32 states was 3 per 100000. These were low rates at that time, but the 1929 rates are nearly DO per cent lower. There is no doubt that the use of antitoXin and i'm muniZation against diphtheria has contributed to the remarkable de- cline In the number of diphtheria cases and deaths. If these agencies had been more generally used. the until 1928, when 1t was 5.7 per 1OO,- CT.
 The incidence of meningococcus meningitis has steadily increased since 1924 to the winter of 1930. But In the spring of 1880. the number of cases dropped below the figure for 1929.
 The prevalence of pellagra has been increasing for several years. In | 1924 the pellagra death rate com puted from reports to the public health service was 2.5 per lOO,OO0 population. The rate rose steadily until 1928, when 1t was 5.7 per lOO.- | 900 (based on reports of 45 states). For the calendar year 1929 the pei agra death rate was 5.5 per 100000 population.
 During the calendar year 1929. the incidence of infantile paralysis was lower than 1t had been since 1926, but by the end of June, 1930. there was a marked increase in the num- Der of cases reported. Reports of unsual prevalence of this condition were received from communities in widely separated parts of the United states. This disease normally reaches it's greatest incidence in this country in the late summer and early fall. For three years. at least. the Incl dence of smallpox in the United states has been increasing. Forty i've sta.es reported 34.6So cases of smallpox fin 1927. 3S,ll4 cases in 1928 and 41.45S cases in 1929. The disease was of the mild type and in the 45 states only 442 deaths were recorded during the three years; vet. the 1I4.000 cases of smallpox rcp- resent an incalculable amount of suffering and large economic loss