Vol. 2. MONTHLY BULLETIN. Entered as second-class matter August 15, 1905, at the post office at SACRAMENTO, APRIL, 1907. STATE BOARD OF HEALTH. MARTIN REGENSBURGER, M.D., President, F. K. AINSWORTH, M.D. N. K FOSTER, M.D., Secretary HON. J. A. ELSTON, Altorney. STATE BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS. No. 11 San Francisco Chico Los Angeles Oakland N. K. FOSTER, M.D., State Registrar..Sacramento | GEORGE D. LESLIE, Statistician Sacramento STATE HYGIENIC LABORATORY. -University of California, Berkeley ARCHIBALD R. WARD, D.V.M., Director.. VITAL STATISTICS FOR APRIL. Summary. For April there were reported 1,938 living births; 2,694 deaths, exclusive of stillbirths; and 2,019 marriages. For an estimated State population of 2,001,193, these figures give annual rates as follows: Births, 11.8; deaths, 16.4; and marriages 12.3. The corresponding rates for March were, respectively, 11.7, 15.8, and 8.6. The number of marriages was highest in the following counties: Los Angeles, 418; San Francisco, 385; Alameda, 279; Santa Clara, 95; Sacramento, 91; Marin, 62; and Orange, 50. The birth total was greatest for the following freeholders' charter cities: San Francisco, 402; Los Angeles, 322; Oakland, 138; Berkeley, 52; Alameda, 49; San José, 44; Fresno, 36; and Pasadena and Sacramento, each 32. The death list was greatest for the following cities: San Francisco, 562; Los Angeles, 366; Oakland, 160; San Diego, 77; Sacramento, 62; Stockton, 56; Alameda, 35; Berkeley, 34; San José, 30; Pasadena, 27; and Fresno and Long Beach, each 26. The deaths reported for April were distributed by geographic divisions, as follows: Northern California-coast counties, 112; interior counties, 227; total, 339. Central California-San Francisco, 562; other bay counties, 369; coast counties, 163; interior counties, 465; total, 1,559. Southern California-Los Angeles, 552; other counties, 244; total, 796. State total, 2,694. Causes of Death.-There were 372 deaths from tuberculosis of the lungs and 37 from tuberculosis of other organs, making a total of 409, or 15.2 per cent of all for April, from various forms of tuberculosis. There were 394 deaths, or 14.6 per cent of all, from diseases of the respiratory system, 312 being from pneumonia and broncho-pneumonia and 82 from other diseases of this class. Third in order, as usual, are diseases of the circulatory system, causing 349 deaths, or 13.0 per cent. There were 82 deaths from meningitis and 185 from other diseases of the nervous system. Typhoid fever, as is nearly always the case, was the most fatal epidemic disease in the month. The total for typhoid fever was 34, against 27 for whooping-cough, 25 for diphtheria and croup, 19 for measles, 18 for influenza, and 16 for all other epidemic diseases. Detailed figures on causes of death in California appear in the table below, which shows the number of deaths due to certain principal causes for April, as well as the proportions from each cause per 1,000 total deaths for both April and March: Dr. E. E. Stone, President of the Northern District Medical Society, has arranged to have a Section of Public Health at the next meeting of that society, which will be held at Napa, Tuesday, June 11, 1907. There will be a paper by Dr. David Powell of Marysville, discussing the pollution of the Sacramento River by the cities and towns along its banks. As this river is the water supply of many thousands of the inhabitants of California, it is a question of vital importance, and every health officer in the district should attend the meeting prepared to give his views on the subject. There is an awakening among health officers of the State, and the various medical societies are encouraging it by devoting a portion of the time at their meetings to subjects especially relating to this work. The response from the health officers should be a large attendance, for the meetings are at once interesting and instructive. MOSQUITOES. Stockton, it is reported, is taking measures to find out if the mosquitoes in the vicinity of that city are the Anopheles, or malaria-bearing species, and if they are found to be will proceed to annihilate them. This is a good work, but why not annihilate them anyway? Malaria is. not the only disease carried to humanity, by different species of this pest, and time may show that other diseases, which at the present time we do not think of as being disseminated in that way, are in reality mosquito diseases. At any rate, their biting and buzzing cause a loss of sleep and nervousness that are factors in ill health. They can easily be practically exterminated from any town and much added to the sum of happiness, contentment, and good health. VEGETABLES AND TYPHOID FEVER. Investigations made by the State Board of Health prove beyond doubt that there is great danger of typhoid fever being spread by the use of uncooked vegetables which have been contaminated by human excrement. Gardens were found where the liquid excrement was used to sprinkle on the plants to kill insect life. Should those vegetables be eaten raw, as many of them are, serious consequences might result. In the neighborhood of cities where land is valuable, intense cultivation and fertilization are necessary, and nothing is allowed to go to waste that will enrich the soil. Sewage in concentrated form and sewage-polluted water are used to fertilize and irrigate vegetables which are eaten raw, and strawberries. These things should be carefully watched by local health authorities and not allowed, for there is no doubt much sickness results from the practice. As a precautionary measure, where there is a suspicion of danger, the following from the Bulletin of the Chicago Health Department could be used: "Dr. Ross C. Whitman, of the Laboratory of the Department, furnishes the following interesting hint to housewives: "Recent experiments conducted in the laboratory have demonstrated that typhoid bacillus, which may be found upon fruit or vegetables designed to be eaten raw, can be killed by immersing these articles of food in a five per cent solution of tartaric acid for half an hour, and then removing the acid by rinsing in clear water. Such a solution of tartaric acid may be prepared by dissolving one tablespoonful of tartaric acid in a pint of water. "Tartaric acid is a fruit acid. It is derived from the grape, as citric acid is derived from the lemon. This acid is absolutely harmless, being an important constituent of cream of tartar, which the housewife uses every day. Such a solution of tartaric acid will kill all the typhoid bacilli that may be upon celery, lettuce, radishes, or other vegetables and fruit, as well as oysters or clams that are to be eaten raw. In this way all danger of contracting typhoid from these sources is absolutely avoided. The tartaric acid can be very readily removed by rinsing in clear water. This is a practical household method, and should be used by every housewife." STRAWBERRIES AND FILTH. This is not by any manner of means a new dish, having been served ever since "the memory of man runneth not to the contrary," but its antiquity does not lessen its disgusting properties nor its liability to produce sickness. Take a stroll through the ordinary market or by a vegetable and fruit store and watch conditions, especially on a windy day. The strawberries are set out to view for the purpose of inducing trade, but they are entirely unprotected from the dust which is rising in clouds from the street-dust composed of all unmentionable filth. It settles and clings to the berries and no amount of washing will entirely take it away. The berries are also oftentimes closely inspected by the ever-present dog, who leaves them in a no more inviting condition. This delicious fruit is exposed to enough contamination in its production and picking and should be guarded from any additional in the market. This can easily be done, and local ordinances should be passed requiring that berries should not be exposed to the contaminating influences to which they are now subjected. The purchasers, however, have an immediate remedy by refusing to deal with any one who thus endangers their health. Place: A MOVING PICTURE. Sidewalk display of food products. Personnel: Flies, pedestrians, customers, etc. ACT I. Two swarms of flies are breakfasting on a bright summer morning on two delectable dishes in front of the grocer's store-one is a fresh pile of horse droppings; the other a generous expectoration of tuberculous sputum just deposited by a gentleman who has recently "come West for his health." Several pedestrians pass, which alarms the aforesaid flies, and they immediately arise, to settle back on the first thing to attract their attention, which seems to be the attractive food products just put out on the sidewalk by the grocer, and, with legs, wings, and mouth reeking with filth and tubercular germs, they voraciously attack their second course. ACT II. Infected food eaten by a man who was "run down" by a "bad cold." ACT III. Another case of tuberculosis reported to the department of health. ACT IV. Another death from tuberculosis reported to the department of health. -Kansas Bulletin. ANTI-TUBERCULOSIS LEAGUE OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. The Anti-Tuberculosis League of Southern California held its regular semi-annual meeting at San Diego on May 2d. This organization has on its membership roll many of the most prominent doctors and laymen of the south, and is doing a magnificent work for that part of the State. The organizers and those who have bravely stood by it have no doubt often felt discouraged, and that the public, in whose interest they were spending their time, money, and energy, did not appreciate their efforts. Such is, no doubt, the truth; but the well attended and really enthusiastic meeting at San Diego should go a long way to cheer them up. The organization in that city of a subordinate league to work in harmony with the mother organization is a hopeful sign that the people are beginning to see the good results of organization. Desultory and unorganized work may do great good, but the same amount of energy organized and conducted will do infinitely more. Every city and large town in the State should have an anti-tuberculosis league and all these should be united in one central organization. Doctors, ministers, business men, and statesmen should be members. Fraternal societies, civic organizations, labor organizations, and women's clubs should all take a hand, for all are vitally interested. With such an organization over the State, education as to means of preventing tuberculosis could be spread to every class. Hospitals and helping stations could be established and we would be on the eve of the day when one in every seven will not die of tuberculosis. All honor to the earnest men and women of the south who are so bravely pushing this work. "DUST AS A FACTOR IN THE PRODUCTION OF DISEASE." From the Journal of the Royal Sanitary Institute, November issue, we learn that at the congress of the institute held at Bristol, England, Dr. Philip Boobyer presented a paper upon the above-named subject, an abstract of which is published in the Journal. The doctor calls attention to the action of dust in the production of diseases of the respiratory organs, and after noting the sources of dust he presents the following summary in the way of minifying the dust nuisance and menace as far as possible: 1. Pave our streets as far as practicable with smooth and cleanable materials. 2. Check as far as practicable the deposit of fecal and other organic detritus in streets, courts, alleys, and yards. 3. Forbid the sweeping of dust and other matters from houses, workshops and factories into the streets. 4. Stop all dry sweeping of streets, and secure the use of closed carts for all scavenging purposes. 5. Forbid the passage of motor cars at more than, say, ten miles an hour past any house or houses standing within fifty feet of a road or street in any district, and limit their speed to ten miles an hour in all urban districts. 6. Discourage, as far as practicable, the use of carpets in houses, and forbid the shaking of carpets and mats in the vicinity of dwellings and work places. 7. Encourage the burning of all organic refuse, including infected materials produced on domestic premises, in the kitchen fires. 8. Pursue a vigorous campaign against the smoke nuisance of towns. 9. Enforce the use of closed bins for the storage of domestic refuse, and see that all public scavenging is promptly, thoroughly and intelligently carried out. 10. Advocate the construction of houses, workshops, and factories of such materials and upon such principles as shall obviate, as far as practicable, the accumulation of dust beneath the floors, and in other situations where, under existing conditions, it is liable to harbor. Finally, let it be our constant aim to minimize the generation of dust in all populous places, and, where its production is inevitable, to secure the adoption of all reasonable means of keeping it out of the general atmosphere. This subject is a very large one, and all I have endeavored to do is to draw attention to a few sources of injurious dust specially prominent |