TABLE 22.-DEATHS FROM CANCER IN NEW JERSEY FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH, 1901, PER 10,000 POPULATION, BY COUNTIES AND BY CITIES OF OVER 5,000 INHABITANTS. SCALE YEAR CHART SHOWING DEATHS IN NEW JERSEY FROM CANCER, PER 10,000 INHABITANTS, FOR TWENTY-THREE YEARS, 1879-1901. Notification of Communicable Diseases.-The act establishing a uniform requirement for the entire State relative to reporting the more dangerous communicable diseases (chapter 260 of the laws of 1895) has been very generally complied with in the larger towns, but in some of the smaller communities the law has been disregarded. Doubtless the indifference of local boards of health insome localities concerning these reports has led the physicians practicing in those districts to neglect to send notifications, and the spread of scarlet fever and diphtheria has consequently been without official control in these places. The source of this official negligence is found in the unfitness of the persons entrusted with the local administration of the health laws in some sanitary districts, and the only effectual remedy for this official shortcoming is to be found in the enactment of more stringent provisions governing the appointment of the paid employes of local health boards. A bill designed to securesuch a reform was introduced in the House of Assembly in 1901, and,. notwithstanding the fact that it was then defeated, new advocates of such a measure are appearing, and there is reason to hope that the time is not distant when none but men who have been instructed in the duties and responsibilities of the office will be permitted to serve as sanitary officials. Following is the usual annual table showing the number of cases of communicable diseases reported during the last statistical year. TABLE 23-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES REPORTED FOR EACH QUARTER DURING THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH, 1901. .-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES REPORTED FOR EACH QUARTER DURING THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH, 1901-Continued. TABLE 23. Fairview borough. 1 1 23 17 8 3 1 si 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. 14 5 1 1 1 1 Fanwood borough. Florence township Franklin township (B). Glassboro township.. Glen Ridge borough. Greenwich township (G)...... Haddon township.. Haddonfield borough... Hamilton township (A)... Hanover township.. Harrington township.. Hillsborough township.. Howell township......... Jersey City........ Kearny town........ Keyport town... Lakewood township.... Lambertville city. Lawrence township (M).. Little Ferry borough.... Logan township....... Long Branch commission Manasquan borough. Mansfield township (B)... Metuchen borough. Middle township.. Midland township. Millville city. Montclair city. Moorestown borough.. Morristown city. Mt. Arlington borough. Mt. Laurel township Mt. Holly borough Neptuue City borough.. North Brunswick township North Plainfied borough. Ocean Grove Association.. 113 121 7612 TABLE 23.-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES REPORTED FOR EACH QUARTER DURING THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH, 1901-Continued. Total cases reported by quarters.. 573 1813 951 607 224 487 891 894 312 353 127 152 3444 2496 78 944 119 Bacteriological Laboratory.-The work of the bacteriological laboratory has been extended during the year, and the number of repositories for mailing cases for sending specimens of diseased tissues for diagnosis is at present 171. Many communications have been received from physicians indicating the value of the service which the laboratory affords, and health officers who have come to rely upon its aid in verifying or disproving the existence of diphtheria are defended against the infliction of needless hardships upon individuals suspected to be infected. The report of Mr. H. O. Baldwin, State Bacteriologist, will be found further on in this volume. Foods and Drugs.—At the last session of the Legislature an act was passed (chapter 85 of the laws of 1901) re-enacting certain provisions of the laws heretofore depended upon to prevent the sale of 5 |