The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-12-09

ciateS' recommendations, include the following:
 At a meeting of the board held Co., tober 4th, 1888, the following vote was passed:
 Voted: Acting upon the recom- Imendation of the Health Officer the Board of Health requests permis- sion of the Mayor to conduct a health survey in the City of Water bury, cost of said survey not to ex- ceed $40000. -
 The city health department did not enter the 1887 City Health Con- servation Contest because our &C., tivities had not increased to any great extent and we believed we could gain no further recognition. However, we expect to participate in another year when we will be able to show further advancement in our accomplishments and I will be given the opportunity to finish my course at the Yale School of Public Health before competing. This city has re- ceived certificates. for Honorable Mention for three successive years.
 Certain funds were received from the State Department of Health, through the Social Security Act, so that the services of a nurse might be retained.
 Control Changed
 On recommendation of Griffen- hagen & Associates, consultants in Public Administration and Finance, engaged by the City of Waterbury, the municipal hospital was removed from the control of the Board of Commissioners of Public Health and the Health Officer and turned over to the Department of Public Well fare for their use in WPA- projects Further recommendation made by this firm follows:
 "The department of public health has made an excellent record in the prevention of communicable diseas- es and in the protection of the pub lie health. In doing so, it costs have never been high in comparison with those of other cities. The American Public Health Association regards a minimum expenditure of one dollar per capita as reasonable cost of carrying on an adequate health pro- gram. Most of the cities in this re- zion spend at least $1 per capita &C., cording to figures compiled by the U. s. Bureau of the Census. Wa terbury'S per capita cost, as shown in the last official compilation of the bureau, covering the year 1886, is calculated as $0.63. Comparable cities of 100000 to 100000 population showed an average mortality rate of 11.3, as compared with Water bury's 9.2. per thousand in 1884, the latest comparative figures available.
 To some extent the low cost of city public health work in Waterbury is attributable to the very extensive pro- gram of public health work carried on by private organizations. How ever, this does not detract from the good record of accomplishments in improving health conditions.
 Communicable Diseases
 During the last twenty years, all communicable diseases have shown a marked decrease in Waterbury. The tuberculosis death rate has dropped during the last decate from 768 per hundred thousand to 38.6; the diphtheria rate has dropped from 80 to @; and the rates for whooping cough, pneumonia, .ty- phoid, and other forms of contagion have shown corresponding decline. In contrast to this, automobile deaths and deaths from the so- called degenerative diseases, which are but little involved in the pro- gram of the health department, have increased tremendously dur ing the last decade. In the face of