REPORTS FROM HOSPITALS IN THE UNITED STATES FOR THE WEEK ENDING MARCH 6, 1880-Continued. SANITARY LEGISLATION IN CONNECTICUT. The following bill has been reported from the joint standing committee on cities and boroughs of the Connecticut Senate, with a recommendation that it do pass: [An act relating to public health and safety.] GENERAL ASSEMBLY, JANUARY SESSION, A. D. 1880. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: SECTION 1. Whenever any city in this State shall find it necessary for sanitary purposes to control the streams of water passing through said city, or to use the same to conduct and carry off the drainage and sewage of said city, and for that purpose finds it necessary to prevent the damming of said streams, or to remove a dam or dams already constructed, the court of common council of said city may take for the use of said city said streams and dams, or either or any of them, and may agree with the owner or owners of the land adjoining and underlying said streams, and the owner or owners of said dams, as to the amount of compensation to be paid to said owner or owners for the same. In case of disagreement between said court of common council and any owner or owners as to such compensation, or as to the amount of damages which ought to be awarded to any person claiming to be injured in his estate by the doings of said court of common council, or in case any such owner shall be an infant, or married woman, or insane, or absent from the State, or unknown, or the owner of a contingent or uncertain interest, said city may make its application to the superior court for the county in which such city is located, setting forth the proposed taking, and said superior court shall cause such notice of the pendency of such application as it shall deem just and reasonable to be given to the parties in interest, and thereupon shall appoint a committee of three disinterested and judicions persons to examine such property as is to be taken or damaged by the doings of said city; and they having been sworn, and having given such notice of a hearing in the matter as shall be just and reasonable, shall proceed to hear all such parties in interest as shall appear before them, and shall estimate the amount of damage which said owners shall receive, and report the same in writing to said superior court. Said court may confirm, correct, or set aside such report, and in the latter case may direct said committee to proceed to a further hearing, or then discharge said committee and appoint a new committee for the purpose aforesaid, and said court may direct when and in what manner said damages shall be paid, and said report having been finally accepted, and such damages having been paid to the parties entitled to them, or deposited with the clerk of said superior court subject to their order, said city may proceed with the construction of its work, and control, use, and regulate said streams or dams, or remove said dam or dams, without any further liability on the part of said city. SEC. 2. This act shall take effect from its passage. MISCELLANEOUS. HAVANA, CUBA.—Advices to March 13 report 9 deaths in this city from yellow fever during the month of February, and 5 deaths for the week ending March 12. All the recent cases have occurred in the city; none among the shipping. NEW LONDON, CONN.-Among the places in which small-pox is known to have existed for some time, though not officially reported, is the city of New London, where the disease has prevailed to some extent since December, 1879. The number of deaths and the probable source of the contagion are not yet known, but it appears that few if any precautions have been taken to prevent the spread of the disease by isolation of those affected or recently recovered. The latter are reported to mingle freely with the citizens on leaving their siek-rooms after an attack of small-pox. CORRECTION.-In the note on mortality in New York City for 1879, page 274, read four deaths from typhus fever instead of typhoid. NOTICE. In filling the reports on the postal cards for cities and hospitals, the figures are frequently so placed between the lines as to leave the disease intended entirely uncertain, except in cases where the judgment of the compiler may enable him to determine which is meant. This may be avoided by a stroke of the pen after the disease to be recorded. The total numbers should be placed in their proper columns, and no figures placed immediately after the word total will be noted in the tables. Those who report still-births will please note them separately, as they are not included in the tables of mortality in the BULLETIN. MORTALITY IN FOREIGN CITIES, COMPILED FROM WEEKLY CONSULAR REPORTS TO NATIONAL BOARD OF HEALTH, CANTON AND NINGPO, CHINA.—Reports from these cities from January 17 to 31 represent that no contagious diseases prevail, excepting the usual zymotic diseases of cities, and none of these were epidemic. CEARA, BRAZIL.--United States Consular Agent S. Morgan sends reports for three months, but only the total numbers are given, as no records are kept. The population is estimated at 30,000. In November, 1879, there were 146 deaths; rate per annum, 36.5 per 1,000; mean temperature, 86.5. In December there were 121 deaths; annual death-rate, 30.2; mean temperature, 86°. In January, 1880, there were 187 deaths; annual rate, 46.7; mean temperature, 86.5. GHENT, BELGIUM,-United States Consul A. Lefebvre forwards a report for the year 1879, showing that there were 1,051 marriages, 4,599 births, and 3,896 deaths. The greatest monthly mortality was 393, in April; the least was 257, in July. The death-rate for the year, estimating the population at 130,100, was 29.9 per thousand. ISLANDS OF MALTA AND GOZO.-United States Consul C. B. Eynaud reports 2 deaths from measles out of a total mortality of 261 for the two weeks ending February 15. The population being 153,500, the annual death rate per 1,000 was 44.3. Mean temperature, 56o. MESSINA, SICILY.-United States Consul George H. Owen reports 248 deaths for the month of December, 1879, of which 2 were due to typhoid fever, and 29 to "other contagious diseases." The population being estimated at 77,000, the annual death-rate was 38.6 per 1,000. Moscow, RUSSIA.-United States Consul R. P. Wilson sends a report of mortality for the month of October, 1879. The causes of death named are: Small-pox, 12; typhoid fever, 50; “other contagious diseases," 169; lung diseases, 429, and diarrheal diseases, 200 Deaths from all causes, 1,648. The population being 601,969, the annual death-rate was 32.8. Very little trouble is experienced from accumulations of filth, as even in October all are snow-covered and frozen. NASSAU, BAHAMAS.-The consular report for the week ending Felruary 28 states that reports lately current in Florida as to the exist ence of yellow fever at Nassau are entirely without foundation. OSAKA, JAPAN.-United States Consul J. Stahel forwards a report of the patients under treatment at the Imperial Mint, Osaka, during the year ending June 30, 1879. Fifteen different departments are represented in the table, with the number of patients in each; but the number of officers and workmen is not given. The sick-list ineludes 419 patients, 49 being officials, and 370 workmen. Only deaths occurred, from the following causes: Disease of the brain 2 of the heart 1, of the kidneys 1, of the lungs 1, Asiatic cholera 1, and beriberi 1. SINGAPORE, EAST INDIES.-The consular report for the month of December shows a total of 230 deaths, but no estimate of population being given, the rate of mortality cannot be ascertained. No contagious diseases appear among the causes of death. Cases. Deaths. Cases. Deaths. Weekly mean of thermometer. The number of cities represented in the weekly reports since the month of January has increased to an average of 90, and the mean population for February is 239,634 more than that for last month. The tables being made for four weeks, and not for the calendar month, the actual periods of time recorded as months are equal, and admit of direct comparison when the several items are reduced to their ratios to the mean population. This is 8,373,533 for February, and the total number of deaths being 12,394, the annual rate is 19.3 per 1,000, showing that the mortality has increased in a greater proportion than the population represented, since the rate for January was 18.2. 1. Causes of death.-The increase of mortality from consumption and acute lung diseases, from 5.09 to 5.84 per 1,000, is the chief factor in the increase of the general death-rate, and it is to be noted that the deaths from lung diseases have advanced over 19 per cent., while those from consumption are only about 11 per cent. greater in ratio to population since last month. The reason for this difference will, perhaps, be found, at least partly, in the greater protection generally afforded to those known to be affected with phthisis from the sudden and extreme variations of temperature which mark the ap proach of spring, and reach with most fatal effect those who are exposed, through imprudence or necessity, and such as are careless in regulating their clothing to meet the changes. Of the six zymotic diseases, two present no appreciable change in their rate of mortality since last month, enteric fever showing 0.30 and whooping-cough 0.25 deaths per 1,000 persons per annum. A marked increase in measles is seen in the rise of the mean death-rate from 0.25 to 0.30 since January, closing at 0.37 for the last week of February. Malarial fevers have also become more fatal, the ratio of deaths being 0.20, as compared with 0.15 for January. Scarlet fever has declined steadily for several weeks, and the rate has fallen from 0.62 to 0.58, while diphtheria and croup show 1.35 deaths per 1,000, against 1.47 for last month. The effect of the decrease in the diseases last noted is seen in the deaths under 5 years. The ratio of these to the population has shared in the advance of the general death-rate, and risen from 6.82 to 7.21 per 1,000, but the proportion to the total number of deaths has fallen from 37.54 to 37.38 per cent., showing that the deathrate among children has increased in a less degree than that for adults. Number of deaths. Number of deaths. Annual rate per 1,000. Per cent. of deaths. Malarial fevers. Annual rate per 1,000. Per cent. of deaths. Number of deaths. Lung diseases, Diphtheria and Diphtheria. acute. croup. Number of deaths. Annual rate per 1,000. Per cent, of deaths. Number of deaths. Annual rate per 1,000. Per cent. of deaths. Small pox. Sections. 2. Distribution of diseases.—In order to avoid repetition, reference following table, supposed to include only those diseases which, if is made to the review for January (page 261), in which the division not preventable, are more or less subject to control by the applicaof the country into sections is explained. The relative mortality in tion even of our present knowledge of their causes and natural the three sections from the principal causes of death, appears in the history : Number of deaths. Annual rate per 1,000. Per cent. of Number of deaths. Annual rate per 1,000. Per cent. of Number of deaths. Annual rate Per cent. of deaths. Number of Annual rate per 1,000. Per cent. of deaths. eases. Diarrheal dis Enteric fever. 6.02 31.34 32. 18 Measles. Whooping cough. Malarial fevers. It will be observed that the Northwest continues to present the lowest death-rate, but the difference in favor of that section is less marked than last month, owing to a considerable increase in the ratio of deaths from lung diseases. The explanation suggested above ap-nual rate of 31.6 per 1,000. For the month of January, the respective plies especially to this section, where the inland cities suffer far more rates of mortality were 10.4 for the white, and 24.3 for the colored sudden and extensive changes of temperature than the sea-board population, as deduced from a much smaller number of reports. cities of the Northeast, or the lower latitudes of the Southeast. These conditions have raised the mortality from lung diseases in the North- REPORTS OF CORRESPONDENTS OF THE NATIONAL BOARD west from 0.99 to 1.72, wh le consumption, in the same section, has only advanced from 1.62 to 1.74. In the Northeast, the rate for consumption has declined from 3.27 to 3.10, and lung diseases having increased only from 2.34 to 2.92, the rate for both is 6.02, against 6.07 for January. In the Southeast, both diseases have increased in fatality; consumption from 2.79 to 3.52, and lung diseases from 2.10 to 2.56, making the rate for both 6.09, against 5.45 in January. The previous comparative exemption of the Southeast from measles and scarlet fever has rendered that section more liable to those diseases, and while scarlet fever has declined considerably in the other divisions of the country the rate in the Southeast has risen from 0.31 to 0.35; the general advance of measles over the whole country has also been most marked in the South, where the rate is three times as great this month as in January, though still only 0.09 per 1,000, as compared with 0.40 and 0.19 for the Northeast and the Northwest. Enteric fever has increased only in the Northeast, where the rate has risen from 0.23 to 0.31; in the Northwest, it has fallen from 0.25 to 0.23, and in the Southeast from 0.55 to 0.29 per 1,000. Whoopingcough has declined in the Northeast section from 0.28 to 0.21; in the other two it has increased. Malarial fevers are becoming more fatal in all parts of the country, the rise in the death-rate (from 0.21 to 0.35) being most marked in the Southeast. From small-pox 26 deaths were reported in January, and 25 in February; but for reasons stated in the weekly summary at different times, these figures have no value, except as indicating the imperfect character of the returns with regard to this disease. The reports of other contagious diseases are probably reasonably accurate. The mortality among the white and colored populations during the month is derived from reports of over 20 cities, from Boston to New Orleans, The average NAVASOTA, TEX., March 1.-Dr. A. R. Kilpatrick makes the following report for the two months preceding: January, 1 death, whooping-cough, white female, age 1 year. February, 1 from apo-" plexy, colored man, aged 70 years; 1 from consumption, white wonian, aged 45 years; 1 from cerebro-spinal fever, colored, aged 10 years. Total, 4 deaths for the 2 months; annual death-rate, 8.9 per 1,000, the population being estimated at 2,700, of whom about 1,800 are white. The following meteorological conditions were observed: 24th, when the thermometer showed 40 at 7 a. m.; highest temperJanuary, rain on 8 days, cloudy 22 days; frost and ice on 23d and ature, 86, on the 17th. February, rain fell on 5 days, 23 cloudy days; ice on the 3d, 4th, and 15th, on which days 32 was the lowest temperature observed; highest, 76°, on the 24th. On the 28th a "norther" caused a change of temperature of 36 in 4 hours-from 74° to 38-between noon and 4 p. m. ABSTRACTS FROM CONSULAR REPORTS. or BANGKOK, SIAM.—The Department of State forwards a letter dated there is no source from which information could be obtained to fill January 14, from United States Consul David B. Sickles, stating that reports of mortality or of vital statistics. There are no hospitals other institutions connected with the public health; the native prac titioners are not willing, and the foreign physicians are not able to supply the data for reports of deaths and prevailing diseases. VALPARAISO, CHILI.-The report of United States Consul L. H Foote, for the month of January, records 347 deaths from small-pox, out of a total of 801 deaths, in a population of 101,088. A reference to the reports for preceding months will show that the deaths from this disease were for some time over 600 monthly, and contributed one-half to the total mortality. The annual death-rate for January was 95.7 per thousand. Small pox. |